Dark Passage
by CotS
Summary: A sudden sandstorm separates members of Eden Advance.
1. Chapter 1

Dark Passage

Planet G889 was not an average dumping ground. Certainly the expense of transporting waste 22 light years from The Stations could not be justified in any of the numerous bureaucratic accounting ledgers unless it bordered on desperation and no one in government would dare be labeled with a such a word. That would signify a loss of control to the general populace.

Therefore, some enlightened member of The Council had to come up a code name for the pilot program. He called it E2 - The Sanitation Project. On paper, its function would be to jettison the most virulent products of society, those which posed the greatest threat to the ordered structure of man's last refuge, into space.

For decades, Earth's pustules had been leaking radioactive waste, toxic chemicals and nerve gas -- all deadly biological time bombs. In ignorance born of greed, mankind had blatantly planted the seeds of its own extinction. The results were catastrophic.

Generations of inhabitants were forced to flee, trading the fading blue planet for the cold, dark, hostile world of space. They lived on stations with exotic names, but their homes were nothing more then revolving, over-packed tin cans which would breed their own form of poison.

Government evolved through trial and error. Eventually, a para military force was formed and paid for by the wealthy to control the masses and protect the status quo. Part CIA, part secret police, they served the elite while slowly gathering power and pushing their own agendas. The brains behind this bruin was a shadowy group called The Council.

At the bottom of the social ladder were the immigrant workers, the drones, the nameless, faceless people of the quadrants, indentured with lifetimes of inherited debt in exchange for passage up. A new feudal system had been born. Earth's history hadn't progressed, it was just repeating itself, having learned nothing from the lessons of the past. While it was true that wars were no longer fought on a global scale, each day brought its own battle for survival. Still, life went on. People learned to adjusted even as they walked a fine line, balanced on the razor's edge of existence.

Desperate times have a way of bringing out the best and worst of human nature. Brilliant minds played God, substituting artificial worlds and genetically creating the ideal human. Without a God-like understanding, there were flaws, mutations, occasional monsters. These mistakes were quietly swept into the sanitation project. There simply was no space on The Stations for anything nonessential. Some criminals were exiled to Earth. The worst of this lot, those beyond redemption, were secretly jettisoned toward any one of five distant planets. They would become the lab rats, the means to the end which was based on hope for mankind's future.

If the experiment failed, there was still something to be learned. Those behind the project thought it a wonderful solution -- no evidence and the stations cleared of a dangerous threat. Occasionally, there was corruption of power, mistakes were made, but these were far and few between. It wasn't a perfect world, but the Council was convinced they had come pretty damn close. Until the day Devon Adair, one of their best and brightest, broke all the rules and threatened to undo The Council's carefully thought out plans of settlement.

As Eden Colony's ship slipped by security, as the first of the fail-safe methods blew up harmlessly in space, only a few stood watching, secretly cheering the Roanoke on, knowing a far less kindly fate awaited the colonists. Unknown to the expedition's leader, their destination was one of the experimental penal colonies. G889 was the final stop for the scum of mankind, the criminally insane, the mass murderers, heretics and rapists. They wandered the planets surface like rats in a maze. The Council had tried in subtle ways to stop Devon Adair but she chose to disregard their warnings. Now she and her followers would pay the price for their folly. While those in power would never see the result, they knew in the end, twenty-two light years from The Stations and into the future, the Council's form of justice would ultimately prevail.

xxx

John Danziger, head of OPS and mechanic to Eden Advance, scanned the horizon. High clouds dimmed the sun, turning it into a glowing orange ball. The world below dissolved into an amber coloring. He glanced back at the petite blond woman who was busily scanning the surrounding flora. Dr. Julia Heller was oblivious to the changing conditions until the wind rudely whipped sand in her face. In an added insult, it lifted her hair into a tangled mass before spreading it across her face.

"You almost done? I think we should head back, I don't like the look of this sky."

The young woman pushed back a wave of silken hair which seemed intent on blocking her vision and turned pale blue eyes toward an ominous sky. "Has Yale issued any warning of approaching storms?"

Danziger glanced toward the rail where he left his gear. "I don't know, I haven't been listening."

Julia sighed and switched her record log into the save mode, then began packing up her equipment. She should have known better. Danziger was notorious for ignoring his communication gear. She couldn't fault him. A brief stop to stretch their legs had turned into a much longer interruption when Julia spotted something which caught her interest. She had no idea how long she had kept him waiting.

The gusts became stronger, raking their skin with a stinging bite of tiny wind-blown pellets. Danziger reached out to grip the doctor's arm as she was almost blown off her feet. He hustled her into the waiting Rail, then jumped into the driver's side. All around them the air billowed upon itself. Like a living creature, the strange yellow smoke rolled toward them. The Rail's ignition caught, then sputtered, its intake clogged with grit.

While Danziger worked the starter, Julia reset her gear and attempted to reach their camp. Static crackled, overriding both audio and visual. Occasionally, she caught bits of an anxious male voice on the other end.

"It's no good. The storm is cutting off the transmission," she yelled.

Danziger could barely hear her above the howl of the wind. The storm was blowing out of the desert, a blizzard of sand that beat down and obscured all in its path.

"I'm going back the way we came. Maybe we can find shelter in the rocks we passed. Come on, come on." Danziger worked the ignition, coaxing, pleading and swearing at his beloved machine until something caught.

The Rail lurched forward, and almost stalled. Danziger knew this pile of metal, grease and gears like the muscle, bone and ligaments of his own body. He knew what each sound, rattle and click meant because it was his job to give them life and keep them living. He made things run when they shouldn't. The Rail bucked, protesting his sharp spin of the wheel. Spinning in the loose sand, he turned the car back in what he hoped was the correct direction. Visibility was almost gone.

The mechanic drove blindly forward. Their surrounding had all but vanished in the swirling dust of the sudden storm, Suddenly, a dark shape loomed directly in front of the vehicle.

Blinded by flying grit and the tears of irritation it generated, Danziger had to spin the wheel to avoid a large boulder which suddenly materialized. The rear passenger side clipped the stone surface throwing Julia against the mechanic. Distracted, he momentarily lost control and collided head on with a rock the size of the TransRover. The momentum of the impact flung both occupants forward. Danziger felt the crush of the steering wheel into his rib cage while Julia ended up flattened against the front panel.

There was silence in the following fog of shock and pain until Julia gathered enough of her senses to manage, "Are you all right?"

Danziger answered through gritted teeth. "Wheel......."

Julia reached under Danziger's legs and sprung the seat lever. The driver's seat fell back a few notches. It was enough to relieve the pressure of the crumpled wheel. The big mechanic rolled out of the vehicle onto the ground. Gasping for air, he held his throbbing chest.

The doctor rummaged for her first aid pack, then dropped it beside him. "There's an opening ahead, maybe a Grendler Cave. I saw it just before we hit."

"I hope it doesn't mind company." Danziger flinched as the doctor helped him up.

Julia staggered under the mechanic's weight as she helped him to his feet. They stumbled forward, tripping over obstacles as they tried to shield their eyes. They literally fell into the shaft they were hunting for by accident. Their drop of 6 ft to a uneven stone floor was accompanied by a rain of sand which had been gathering at the entrance. The two crew members crawled away from the cascading flow. They found themselves in a tunnel which burrowed deep into the ground. To escape the storm's fury, they crawled forward, following a twisting passage which eventually cut off the wind and light.

"Wait. I can't see where I'm going." Danziger called a halt and leaned against the cave wall before sliding down into a sitting position.

Julia knelt at his side and fumbled in darkness for the lumalight in her belt pouch. Its small shaft of light explored their surroundings. An unpleasant odor was growing stronger the deeper they advanced into the cave.

The mechanic began to feel sick as he watched the darting beam of the lumalight so he reached out and caught it in Julia's hand. "Stop shining it around like that. What the hell is that smell?" he asked, annoyed.

"I was trying to pinpoint the source."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I don't know which is worse, choking to death on sand or Grendler odor."

"Grendler odor won't kill you. However, I don't think that's what we're dealing with here."

She had his attention

"What?" He asked her. "Some kind of fumes?"

Julia rose to her feet and started down the passage way. "More like the formation of amines such as putrescence and cadaverine."

"What?" He pulled himself up and hurried after the doctor.

"Something is decomposing."

Danziger had a flashback to a similar cave with a dead Grendler. Julia had taken charge that time, too. The smell was overpowering and he found himself gagging.

The big man tried holding his nose and breathing through his mouth. He swore he could taste the smell. "Look, we just crashed this place to get out of the storm. I don't think we need to know what kind of housekeeper this Grendler is. Let's go back. The air might be dirty but it's whole lot fresher."

Julia's light caught a shape on the ground ahead. The beam traced what was left of a human body. Just at the range of visibility were assorted limbs attached to various parts all in different stages of putrefaction.

"Oh, man. This is not good." Danziger swallowed back the bile that rose to his throat and turned away while Julia walked around the corpse.

Stepping over the remains, the doctor leaned forward for a better view under her light.

"Are they human?" He tried to occupy his mind with other thoughts.

"Penal colonist from the look of it. No, wait, there may be more then one There's part of a uniform here, too. Does it look like anything you're familiar with?"

Reluctant curiosity drew Danziger over. He tried to focus only on the timeworn material and avoid the corpse under it.

Julia turned and watched his face. "Do you recognize it?"

"Some kind of Special Forces, I think. What's he doing here?"

"Here in this cave or here on G889?"

"Well, both I guess. I thought the Council only dumped penal colonists on G889."

"Maybe he was one of Reilly's. He mentioned the Z.E.D.s had taken weapons away from his men."

"You still don't believe Reilly was just a part of EVE's program?"

"I'd like to think so. That way, I wouldn't have to keep looking over my shoulder but no, I think Reilly is, or once was, a very real person."

"Wonder what this guy's story is? How did these people wind up here?"

"I can't determine that unless I can find another body that isn't in such a decomposed state.

If they died here, they didn't all die at the same time. There are different degrees of decay, years apart."

Julia's light blinked and dimmed.

"We need light. I don't believe I'm doing this." Danziger looked around in the limited light and finally pulled a femur loose. He wrapped the torn garments around it and lit the mass of rags.

The makeshift torch flared brightly, driving back the darkness. The sight around them was gruesome.

"Check this out." Danziger walked to the back of the vault. The far wall was stacked with supplies. He pulled out one of a number of lumalights and lit it before the torch burnt out.

Julia appeared at his side. "Our stuff? Were there any pods that could have landed nearby?"

"I don't think so. Where did they get this stuff? They must be a hell of a group of traders. Guess we found the warehouse. "

Julia found a box in the medical supplies." I may have just found their bargaining chip." She told Danziger, pointing to the side of the case.

MEDICAL SUPPLIES /FRAGILE/ HUMAN BLOOD

The doctor knelt and rummaged through the containers. "The containers that are left are all empty."

"Must have drank it or traded it away." Danziger commented

"The Grendlers from the Time Fold seemed to prize blood above everything, even food. If they traded vials of blood for this stuff, either they didn't have the same tastes or they were sure of replacing it."

Danziger caught her meaning. "You think they killed these people for their blood."

"If the smitten Grendler hadn't appeared when he did, I might have been killed for mine. If you could have seen the look on the other one's face when he saw my arm scraped raw..." Julia shivered thinking of that struggle, the huge jaws snapping at her bloodied forearm and didn't finish her thought.

"I think we'd better get out of here before they come back."

"I agree. Hopefully, the storm is keeping them from returning. We should warn the others too, as soon as the interference stops. Are you coming?"

Danziger was shining the light over the Grendler's stash. "I just wish there was a weapon in all this. I can't believe you left the MagPro."

"At the time, I was more concerned with hauling your ...you to safety."

"Safety, huh? I just hope we didn't go from the frying pan into the fire."

With a new sense of urgency, they traced their path back toward the opening. The passageway was just starting to brighten when they heard the explosive grunts of Grendlers ahead.

Danziger shut off his beam and backed into Julia. His hand caught her tightly by the arm as he whispered in her ear. "Go back. They've got us cut-off."

Julia felt her heart quicken in fear. There was no way out. If the Grendlers caught them, they would end up like the others. There was no way to avoid detection. Their footsteps echoed down the tunnel alerting the returning occupants. The beasts' snorting was echoed and magnified by the surrounding walls as they hurried in pursuit of the crewmen.

They were back in the dead end vault shining their lights in desperation, backing against the wall. Four large Grendlers entered. Two blocked the entrance, while the other two advanced toward the crewmen. Danziger knelt and pulled another femur loose to use as a club.

"That won't do much. It will probably splinter with the first blow."

"You got a better idea?" The mechanic asked.

Julia ripped her sleeves off her shirt. "Fire. We might keep them away with a torch like the one you made before. At least we'll see them better."

She found a long bone, tied the cloth and lit it. In the flare of light, Danziger swung his club at the two advancing beasts. They spread out so he had trouble keeping them in sight. The flame wavered as Julia hunted for more material. She jabbed as the animal lunged for her. It yelped as the fire licked its outstretched hand and backed away.

"I think he got the message." Julia sounded almost cocky.

"Yea? What happens when we run out of flammable material?" Danziger eyed the flickering light.

"There's an air current in here. Maybe a way out."

He swung the bone with one hand while shining his light around. He spotted an area where the wall didn't meet the ground. "There! Work you're way over to the spot where I have the light."

Julia did as he instructed. She dipped the torch and saw the air current catch the flame. "You're right. Here, take the torch and keep them back. I'll see if we can fit under the ledge."

After they made the exchange, Julia shone the light into the cleft. The passageway was very narrow. She should fit but Danziger would be a tight squeeze.

"I think we can make it. You go first."

"Why me?"

"Because of your size it will take you longer to crawl beyond their reach. I'll keep them away until you are far enough back. I'm much smaller. I can scoot in quickly."

Danziger hesitated, not liking the arrangement.

Julia snapped at him. "What are you waiting for? We don't have all day to discuss this."

"I don't like it." Still he handed her the torch after clearing the Grendlers back in a final swing.

He dropped to the ground, belly down and pushed with his feet, reminded of the army field exercises where he and his buddies were required to crawl under barbed wire. No one used it anymore but it was a good incentive to keep the troops low to the ground. He hurried, knowing Julia's danger grew with every second. He felt the rough surface of the ceiling catch him in the back, holding him from advancing. He fought down a feeling of panic, of being trapped under tons of rock.

"Danziger! Are you in far enough?"

"How the hell do I know." He clawed at the dirt with his hands, his large feet digging for leverage. The back of his shirt ripped and he moved forward again. "I think I'm clear." He crabbed sideways and shone his light back. He could only see the back of Julia's boots shifting nervously. "Yea, I'm in far enough to give you room."

Julia had her hands full. The Grendlers saw their meal tickets slipping away and were furious. A few burned hands didn't help their disposition any either. Julia knew she would have to be very fast to beat them.

She went over a plan in her mind, rehearsing the timing. When Danziger said he was clear, she lunged at the Grendlers' faces with the torch, swinging the bright flame close to their eyes before throwing it at them as she dove for the opening. It took a few seconds for the creatures' eyes to adjust to the sudden shift in light. They adapted more readily than humans, having spent a great deal of their time underground and so were after the woman faster then she expected.

The doctor crawled toward Danziger's light. While she was quick into the hole, she was awkward and slow in its passage having never had any experience in close quarters.

Danziger coached her. "Push with your feet. Stop trying to lift your head." He reached to pull her toward him.

She stopped and reached out.

"Don't stop!" He yelled.

Suddenly, she was jerked backwards. He say the fear in her eyes, saw them pleading with his.

"John! Help me."

Their hands reached for each other and missed by inches before she was jerked backwards again. He was losing her. Danziger had to swing around to start back for her. He felt the rock cut into his skin but he ignored the pain in the urgency of the situation.

Julia felt a huge hand brush, then close around her right ankle before the first tug. The Grendler was too large to fit but its hand had searched the fissure until it caught her in its grip. She twisted and jammed her left leg into the wall to brace herself.

The ugly beast twisted the woman's leg and heard her cry out in pain as it tried to work her out of the opening. It grew excited as it felt her give and pulled harder. A boot popped into view. There was only a limited amount of space as the Grendlers jostled for position. The larger of the other three won an opposite angle and reached in and caught Julia's calf. Unfortunately, they both wanted her for themselves and started to work against each other, pulling in opposite directions.

Julia sobbed. "Oh God, John, they've got my leg."

He saw her twist to relieve the stress. She gave up trying to wedge her other leg which now slipped toward the opening.

"Julia, hang on. I'm coming." He pushed his way forward then reached out and grabbed under her shoulder. He tried to pull her back but she lurched again and he was pulled with her.

Julia had a death grip on the mechanic. She knew these Grendlers had a blood lust and would tear her apart once they had her. She had seen what they had done to Commander O'Neal when she autopsied him. She had never told the others that Gaal's Grendlers had sucked every drop of blood from his body through the large crescent shaped holes they left in his chest.

Danziger was tiring like a fish on the line. For every inch he pulled her toward him, the combined strength of the creatures won triple that back.

One beast had Julia's right thigh, while the other still tugged on her ankle. Sharp claws ripped the material to shreds, cutting into her flesh. Their noses caught the scent, their eyes widened as the pale skin opened beneath their talons, allowing small scarlet ribbons of the precious red liquid to flow freely. They slobbered thick rubbery drool in anticipation and pulled harder.

Julia was in agony as they tore at her limb. Hope dimmed. Through a haze of pain, she saw the frantic look on Danziger's face. If she held on, they might get him, too. There was no sense to both of them dying. Perhaps he could get away to warn the others, if the Grendlers were occupied with her. She let go of him and prayed for a quick end.

"What are you doing? Julia, hold on to me." He pulled at her with all his strength. It was a tug of war he couldn't afford to lose.

The Grendlers were growing agitated. They had no patience for delays. The larger one decided enough was enough, the sight before him was just too tempting, so he bit into his captured portion.

Grendlers had short stubby teeth, good for gnawing and grinding but not for severing anything so large as a human leg. Still, it inflicted enough damage to allow a decent flow of the tasty fluid. Its huge sticky maw draped over the woman's thigh and it began to suck eagerly like a hungry baby. Its cow like eyes closed contentedly as the wonderful red liquid washed over its palate, creating a state of euphoria.

Danziger could tell something was very wrong. Julia's mouth opened in a scream. Her back arched and twisted before she struck her head on the low ceiling and collapsed with an audible thud on the hard stone surface. Danziger felt her grow limp in his arms.

"No. NO!" He yanked her hard and fell back as she came with his tug. He was terrified, fearful of what the Grendlers had done.

What he didn't know was that while one Grendler feasted, the others grew crazed at the overpowering smell of fresh blood. The one let go of Julia's ankle and attacked the feeding Grendler, pushing it aside to get at his share.

The feeding Grendler's mouth dripped crimson drool on to his ample chest as he rolled back, stunned into a rude awakening as he was set upon by one of his fellows. A battle erupted between the other two. Danziger's sudden pull met no resistance. While the Grendlers attacked each other, he pulled Julia out of their reach before they were aware of their loss.

Blood curdling howls echoed through the cave and reached into the fog that clouded the mechanic's brain. He became aware of his own labored breathing as his lungs burned with oxygen debt. He began crawling, pushing deeply into a space that barely allowed passage of his body.

Danziger hated tight places. The cramped maintenance tubes at the station had given him the first hint that claustrophobia was rearing its ugly head. Because he needed the job, he worked through feelings of trapped suffocation. The Time Fold had been a bad experience, dumping him in an adjacent corridor, alone and cut-off from the rest. A tomb that went on forever, full of ensnaring webs and biting insects. It had been a piece of cake compared to this ordeal.

He stopped and laid his head against the cool stone surface. He was soaked in sweat, a result of fear and labor. A hammering heart beat a pulsating rhythm against his ear drums. His hand burned with skin rubbed raw from pushing and clawing his way over the abrasive surface. The other, which held Julia's shirt, was numb. Only the drag of her weight told him that he still maintained a hold.

"Julia? Can you hear me? I got you out of there. I told you I would." He reached back and touched her face, feeling her breath against his fingers.

She was alive.

"We're going to get out of this, so hang on. Okay? It's got to open up soon. It can't go on this way forever."  
His voice sounded vulnerable, lost and alone in the area barely higher then his shoe size. He pushed the lumalight ahead, the small beam of hope in world of eternal darkness.

xxx

The same storm that drove Danziger and Julia to seek shelter also hit their camp with equal surprise and fury. Caught in the open, there were few places to hide.

Earlier that day, the mechanic and the doctor had gone ahead to scout for a campsite that offered some shelter against the oppressive heat of the sun. Reflected by the endless rolling sand dunes over which they traveled, the situation was growing unbearable. The first change in the horizon in days had been a few small patches of vegetation scattered among large rock formations in the distance. It was this site that Julia and Danziger had left to investigate.

Yale was the first to recognize the danger. A quick scan through his files had him alerting the others of the approaching sandstorm. "Quickly, we must create some type of shelter for everyone."

With no real experience, they did the best they could. Devon, Magus, and the two children huddled in the TransRover's cabin. Alonzo used the ATV to block some of the sand's assault on the open space between the wheels. The rest of the crew crawled under the big mining vehicle and covered themselves with tent material.

Yale held a portion open and yelled for the pilot to join them. Alonzo was in the open, fumbling with his gear as he tried to raise Julia. The wind caught the set and ripped it off his head.

"Alonzo!" Yale yelled urgently. "Hurry!"

The good-looking pilot was stunned by the power of the wind. He could barely stand much less walk against it. His face stung from the impact of millions of tiny projectiles. He dropped to his knees and blindly crawled the remaining distance. The tutor grabbed him and pulled him under the tarp. Small groups of his crewmen wrapped themselves in tight canvas cocoons. They used their hands and the weight of their bodies to stake their shelters against a wind which seemed bent on stealing it. Alonzo felt Yale's solid presence beside him. He heard the hiss of driven sand raging against the other side of the tent material. Isolated, he could do nothing but hold on and worry about Julia and Danziger.

xxx

A few miles away, while safe from the storm, Danziger was holding on to Julia and worrying about the narrowing crevasse of their escape route. The doctor had begun to whimper whenever he pulled her. It occurred to the mechanic that, in his desperation to break out of this god-forsaken hole, he might be doing the woman more harm than good in dragging her along. From the look of things ahead, there might not be room for her to fit by his side.

He shimmied backward and found his shirt rode up and bunched around his neck. The abrasive stone surface added a few crimson scratches to the spreading purple and blues bruises from the crash. His angry swearing echoed back at him, full of frustration.

"Julia?" He touched her face, gently turning it toward him. His hand was torn, covered with grit and shook from the effort of their journey.

Her facial muscles twitched and she groaned in answer.

He brought the light up. "Julia, try to listen to what I'm saying. We've got a problem. The way out is getting tighter. We won't fit side by side much longer."

Danziger's only response was Julia rolling of her head away from the glare of the light.

"Come on. I don't want to leave you." He tapped the side of her cheek a little more forcefully.

This time, there was a sharp intake of breath as she tried to roll away from her tormentor.

"You hit your head. It knocked you out for awhile." He explained as his hand cushioned movement between her head and the wall.

Her hand rose, forgot its purpose, and drooped weakly at her side.

"Look we can't stay here. We need water. We have to warn the others. What if they come looking for us?" He leaned closer to her. "What if Alonzo comes looking for us. He doesn't know these Grendlers have a thirst for blood."

"Can't...leg....go." Her hand tried to brush him away before it fell against his chest.

"What?" He remembered something had caused her to jerk and hit her head. "Something's wrong with your leg? Okay, let me check it out."

He worked his hips, worming his way backward. The light beam bounced across the walls, catching the disturbed scurrying of small transparent insects. There were other sounds behind them. 'Things going bump in the night.' He tried not to think about it. After all, he and Julia were the invaders.

How brilliant and disturbing the light from his small torch must seem to these weird cave creatures. Maybe they couldn't see but they felt or heard the huge, unknown, destructive presence causing chaos though their world.

Julia lay on her back, having twisted that way after she hit her head. Danziger faced her left side and could see nothing wrong with her leg. In the limited space, he had to hold his hand at an awkward angle to squeeze her ankle and calf and feel for swelling.

"Does that hurt?"

She mumbled something he couldn't catch.

"What? I can't hear you." He heard her moan.

The doctor's leg shifted toward him suddenly, her knee catching him in the throat.

"Looks like it works fine." He patted the limb in approval and tried pushing it back. His eyes shifted to her other leg, lost in the shadows. He squinted, puzzled by its stillness. "Is it the other one?"

"Yea."

He saw her try to move it. "Wait. Give me a minute. Ahh..can you move your other leg back a bit. There's not much room." He felt her tense as his hand the other leg. Repeating the same procedure, he started at the ankle and worked up.

She flinched as he moved above her knee.

"Did they knock something out of place when they were pulling on you back there?" He kneaded the quadriceps, waiting for a reaction to pain. "Nothing there. He grunted as he adjusted his position, then shoved a hand under her leg to check the hamstring.

Julia reacted instantly, with a sharp intake of breath, she jerked upward.

"Easy, easy!"

Her pants were shredded just above the knee. The material saturated.

A brief touch was all he needed. He swallowed with a dawning realization the light only confirmed. His hand, covered in bright red blood, shook under the beam.

"Jesus!" The mechanic was overwhelmed. What the hell was he going to do now? He counted on Julia pulling her own weight to get out of here. There wasn't enough room to continue towing her and he couldn't just leave her. "Shit!"

"Bad?"

"I can't tell. I can't see. There's no room, not enough light. Damn it, Julia, I probably made it worse by dragging you through this shit hole."

"Sorry."

"Well, it's not like we had a lot of options. Look, I'm going to try and wrap your leg with my shirt. It's not that clean but it's better than nothing."

The shirt wasn't that difficult to remove since it was half off anyway. He used his teeth to rip it into strips. The real task was in trying to tie it around her leg with one hand.

Finally, he gave up. "I can't do it."

"I'll try." The doctor volunteered. With her face almost brushing the ceiling, she just managed to reach the strips. "How much blood?"

"Huh?"

"A lot of blood..I need pressure."

"Ahh, good idea. Make it tight."

Danziger was getting an odd feeling. She had been bleeding the whole time he had been dragging her.

Dots were swimming inside Julia's closed eyes as she strained to tighten the bandage. "How long?"

Danziger had squirmed away from the doctor, opening a trough of about 6 inches between them.

"How long have we been in here? It seems like hours." He answered, cocking his head to the left and looking back in the direction they had come from.

The light in his hand was still focused on Julia.

He waited until she was done and settled back down. "How do you feel?"

"Weak. Better. Give me a minute?"

"Sure. Whenever you're ready." Danziger waited till she closed her eyes. The big mechanic swallowed, trying to decided if it was just nerves or fear playing tricks on his mind. Either way, he had to know. Swinging the light around to shine down the narrow corridor behind them, he looked back.

Firey orbits, glowing like some hellish vision were caught reflecting the beam's light just beyond his feet.

For someone so close to the edge, it was a sight that evoked pure terror. He must have moved or made some type of noise, maybe some remnant of fear that froze him to the spot, leaving just a gasp or choked cry in its passing. Whatever the cause, the vision was gone in a blink of an eye. Only a whisper of small feet or rustle of wings touched his ear. A noise he had been hearing for awhile, only it could no longer be rationalized as just the spill of loose dirt.

Something touched him. Danziger bolted, head-butting the low ceiling before an undignified crash landing sent him bouncing into the doctor, the wall and anything else his big sprawling body could cover in the limited space.

Julia's hand had pushed the fight or flight button without realizing it.

The Lumalight flew from his hand, bouncing and landing a distance ahead. The impact broke the lens and it blinked a few times, threatening to leave them in pitch darkness.

Danziger panicked and began crawling forward. "No!! No!! Don't go out"

"John! Julia weakly grabbed at his pant's leg.

"Let me go! The light..." He pulled free, his mind crowded with only one thought.

The light was life, a shield against what waited in the darkness.

He crashed ahead with little regard for obstacles. The warm trickle of blood snaked across his forehead and dripped into his eye. An annoyance which was brushed away with a dirty backhand, smearing crimson across his face. Finally, the prize lay within his grasp. While cracked, the beam still shone brightly ahead.

Danziger reached out, past the light. Trembling fingers touched a nightmare -- a solid rock wall, a dead end.

xxx


	2. Chapter 2

The crew of the Eden Project, cowered in their make-shift shelters, listening to the howling of the wind. For hours the storm raged with unabated fury. Cut off from each other, it was an anxious time with only their thoughts and  
imagination to kept them company. As their air turned stale, some grew drowsy and dozed. The fine powder continued to built on itself, marching over the crewman and their vehicles in great sweeping inclines.

Alonzo jerked awake. How long had he slept? Outside, the moaning wind sounded like the dying breath of some ancient beast. Despite his covering, every part of his body was covered in a fine talcum of dust that had seeped into the tiny holes and cracks of the shroud. It also fed him enough fresh air to fight the deadly stupor that some of his friends were beginning to succumb to.

"Yale! Wake up. I think it's just about over."

The pilot pushed aside the canvas and fought his way through the mound that buried them under a good foot of loose soil. He reached back and pulled the tutor free.

Yale blinked against the sudden glare of a returning sun. His eyes swept the camp. "The others, we must hurry."

Zero was the only discernible body, standing forlorn and half buried in the rear of the Rover.

"Devon!!"

Sand was piled against the cab of the TransRover to the window.

A small creak grew and the leader of the Eden Project poked her head out. "I can't get the door open."

"Wait. I'll get Zero to dig you out." The pilot jumped aboard the back by simply climbing a dune. He scooped the robot free and handed him a shovel. "Get to work, Dig that drift away from the cab door so we can get Devon and the kids out."

Yale was already on his knees digging with his hands to free the others. Alonzo pulled two more shovels out of the back and went to his aid. It was hot, dirty work but the relief of seeing the others had survived overcame any  
weariness they felt.

Finally, the group was resurrected and only the doctor and mechanic remained unaccounted for. The pilot threw himself into digging out the ATV. He only allowed himself a break when one of the other men took a turn at which time he tried to contact the missing two on gear. Their continuing silence ate at him.

Devon interrupted his nervous pacing to hand him a cup of water.

"Why don't they answer Devon? The storm's over. They should be able to get through now."

The woman tried to keep the worry from her voice as she answered him. "I don't know Alonzo. They are both very competent individuals and have survived worse. I'm sure they'll be fine. We just have to be patient."

"Patience isn't going to find them." He directed his anger into digging as he talked to her. "If they're so smart, how come they aren't communicating and letting us know where they are? I'm sorry Devon, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Morgan is working on getting a fix on their last signal. Bess has put together an emergency pack and Walman is ready to go with you as soon as the ATV is free. We'll follow in the Rover. We're doing all we can. "

Devon was right. Every one had pitched in to help facilitate the rescue. By the time the ATV was ready, Morgan would have the coordinates of their homing signal. Still, his unease continued to grow.

Alonzo's mind reached out to Julia, trying to bridge the distance between them. His new gift, the ability to reach a higher plane of awareness was also a curse. He sensed, frustration, pain and fear, a crushing sense of danger.

"I'm coming, Doc. Just hang on a little longer."

xxx

"I'm coming. Hang on." Danziger finally answered Julia.

She had been calling his name repeatedly, When he hadn't answered, her anxiety had intensified to the point where she tried to go after him. It was the tone of her voice, the tortured movement caused by desperation that finally snapped his brain into gear. Finding their way blocked had been such a demoralizing blow to the mechanic that he had almost lost it.

He wiggled his way back. The tunnel was so narrow at this point they were almost wedged together. The reason for his silence was apparent. In the light, she could see the defeat on his face. The doctor's hand evaluated the cut on his temple. Her touch allowed a small measure of comfort to pass between them.

"You need a stitch."

"Yea? Well, if you have a needle and thread handy, you could use a few yourself."

She smiled at that but then her face grew serious. "What is it?"

"Looks like we took a wrong turn. Nothing but a solid wall ahead."

"Did you make any turns?"

"No. I've been crawling straight ahead. There hasn't been any other way to go."

"Do you still have the matches?" With his nod, she went on. "Light one. The air current should tell us which way."

He had a hard time getting his hand into his pants pocket. Finally, the flame flared and he held it up to catch any current. It bent in a forward direction. "The air is coming from behind us. I can't figure out how I missed it."

"Maybe you couldn't see it." He looked puzzled until she explained. "You can barely look ahead because of the low clearance. Perhaps the opening we're looking for was directly overhead or off to the side. We have to go back."

His head dropped forward into the dirt.

"John, I know you're exhausted. I know pulling me along had to take everything out of you. I'm sorry to say that you have to do it all over again. Maybe it's not that far behind us."

'What isn't that far behind us, are all those red eyes.' He thought. 'How can I back into that, not knowing what they are or what they'll do, what they're after?'

"John?"

"Julia,.." He hesitated, wondering how to tell her that something was following them.

Something that may have found blood as appetizing as the Grendlers.

"What?"

"How am I going to drag you back without hurting you?"

"There's nothing we can do about that. Here's my belt. Loop it around my ankles. Pull me with the strap. I'll take the light and check the sides and the ceiling."

They exchanged the belt for the light and he bound her ankles and pulled the strap out between her feet, then wrapped it around his fist. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Danziger closed his eyes and dug his toes into the dirt, inching his way backward by flexing his feet. He worked the length of the belt before stopping to pull the doctor along.

She tired to ignore the pain by concentrating on sweeping their surroundings with the LumaLite.

Time and distance were measured only by the unremitting agony of the ordeal. Thirst, exhaustion and pain overrode all other senses, all except the memory of those eyes which still burned fiercely somewhere in the shadows of Danziger's mind.

"Wait! Danziger, stop!"

"Huh?"

"I see something."

"What?" He waited, afraid she'd seen them, too.

"The rock looks different, more recessed."

"Oh. 'K. I'll rest till you're sure." He slumped. His head resting on his arms, both of which were completely drained.

She flicked the light off which touched off a sudden adrenaline rush in the mechanic.

"Wha? Turn it on. You crazy?"

She turned it back on. "I'm sure. There's a shaft off to the side above us. There's some indirect light filtering through. Maybe it's the opening we're looking for."

"Great." Then it sunk in. "Above us?"

xxx

"Great! This is just great. I could have walked there by now." Alonzo kicked the ATV.

Walman stopped what he was doing as Devon and Yale came over.

Devon's look took in Alonzo's frustration before she directed her question to Walman. "It still won't start?"

"I've taken the starter apart and cleaned it twice. I thought it was just clogged with sand but now I'm not sure what it could be. Danziger's the real genius when it comes to stuff like this."

Nothing had gone easy. Removing a ton of sand was a slow, hot exhausting process which had taken most of the day. Now evening was coming on and the leader of the Eden Project was hesitant about letting two more of the crew go off into the coming darkness.

True crawled out from under the vehicle. "Try it now."

Walman got in and cranked the handle. The small vehicle jumped forward and stalled. The second try worked however and within seconds Alonzo was strapping a medical pack and MagPro on to the rear.

True came up to the pilot. "Just find my dad, okay?" It was more a plea then a demand.

Yale put his hands around True's shoulders while Devon gave Walman last minute instructions.

"Make sure you stay in contact at all times. Here are the co-ordinates of the homing beacon on Danziger's gear. There's been no signal from Julia's so we're not sure they're together. If you find them, there are hydration capsules in the medical pack. We'll be less then an hour behind you so don't do anything rash."

"Let's go Walman." Alonzo was impatient to be off. He avoided the look Devon shot him, hopped on the back and scanned the darkening horizon.

With Adair's nod, Walman gunned the pedal. The ATV coughed its way out of camp and headed in the direction of a small blinking signal.

Morgan Martin watched the ATV leave, following an invisible track across a featureless plain. As he watched, a thin dark line moved across the sky in front of them. He climbed aboard the Rover and retrieved a pair of Jumpers. Raising them to his eye, he hit the maximum setting and was puzzled by what he saw in the lens. He jumped down and went searching for the tutor. "Yale, what kind of birds fly around at night?"

"Excuse me?"

"Out there, in the direction I sent Walman and Alonzo. There's a whole school of birds flying around."

"Flock. Birds flock, fish school." The tutor trained his eye toward the area the bureaucrat indicated and activated his lens implant.

The magnification was greater then that of the jumpers.

"Not birds, they're mammals. Something similar existed on earth at one time. Chiroptera, or as they were commonly called, bats. The insect-eaters were considered helpful to mankind. Unfortunately, some also transmitted disease so out of fear and ignorance most of the larger colonies were sought out and destroyed. Pollution and insecticides brought about the extinction of remaining population by the middle of the 21st century."

"So which are these, the insect-eating kind or the disease carrying kind?" Morgan asked, his eyes never leaving the distant creatures.

"I'm not sure you can tell just by looking at them." The tutor replied.

"In that case, if they get to close, I think we should kill them all just to be on the safe side. What do you think?"

The tutor just stared at the bureaucrat in silence as Morgan nervously scanned the sky.

xxx

John Danziger would have given his #9 wrench for a view of the same sky. As it was, he had twisted into an unnatural position to cram his head and a hand into the fissure. He was seriously worried about becoming stuck as the unyielding rock caught him in a vice like grip.

"Can you see anything?" Julia asked Danziger as he shone the light into the chimney like vent.

"I'm trying. I can't see much from this vantage point."

His neck was turned about as far as it would go. The big mechanic was in an ugly mood. The shaft was damp and foul smelling, reeking with the strong scent of ammonia. It was also infested with insects. Large and black or small and translucent, they fell, jumped or meandered upon his anatomy, disturbed by the intrusion.

His continuing silence irritated Julia. "Maybe you should have let me go first. I wouldn't have had as much problem fitting."

"Believe me, you don't want to be in here." His last words were mumbled as something crawled over his lip.

"If it's a way out, I'll put up with anything."

Danziger pulled himself free, forfeiting some skin. He brushed his hand wildly through his hair dislodging a variety of creepy crawlers. "Trust me, this is not the way out."

He saw her face fall. "Look, if there's one, there bound to be another. We'll just keep looking."

xxx

Walman was driving full throttle, intent on the terrain before him. Alonzo held tightly to the roll bar behind him as the ATV sped along. At first, the dark shape seemed to be nothing more than a piece of debris kicked up by the vehicle's huge tires. The pilot saw it flutter and come to rest against the driver's neck. Walman's hand flicked upward, aware of something. Then another and another, shadows that fell upon them, filling the air with the vibrating beat of hundreds of tiny wings.

The ATV swung erratically as Walman tried to beat away the attackers with both hands. Alonzo was thrown from side to side and lost his footing. The right side rolled over a good size rock and the vehicle tipped to the left, then bounced down hard sending the pilot air-born before he landed, cart wheeling in the dirt. Unaware that he had lost his rider, Walman spun the wheel and headed back the way he had come, half crazed by the stinging bites from the unexpected attack. He headed back toward Eden Advance which offered the only safety he could count on.

xxx

Thirst and exhaustion were consuming Julia and Danziger's remaining energy. The mechanic realized his hard labor was no longer producing sweat and he was sure this wasn't a good sign. He halted, weary and half sick. Beside him, Julia's face was unnaturally pale and drawn. The growing silence between them was heavy with despair.

Deep in the earth, encased in stone and cut off from the light, this place had the feel of a premature grave. The air was thick with the dust, the smell of undisturbed centuries in a place where time had no meaning. The thought that it might become their tomb took root and began to grow in some dark corner of their minds.

Danziger was torn, he was ready to go back and take his chances with the Grendlers. If he could make it to the Rail, and if the Grendlers hadn't already taken the MagPro, he might be able to get help. Hell, with the MagPro he might even be able to scare the Grendlers off and save their asses himself. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to suggest this to Julia. Maybe because he would have to leave her behind with God knows what, although there hadn't been a sign of anything recently. He should have known that sometimes the very thought conjures up the actuality.

"John?" Julia was breathless. "I there's something on my leg. Please, I can't see what it is. Hurry!"

"Okay, take it easy. I'm hurrying." As the mechanic worked his way backward, his ear picked up a sound.

Julia jerked.

"What are you doing?"

"I tired to kick it away. I think something was around the wound. Can you see anything?"

He banged his head on the ceiling trying to look over. "No, whatever it was is gone."

A dark stain pooled just below a tiny stream of fresh blood from a recent puncture wound. Seeing the evidence on her leg, he searched the corners with his light, spooking the culprit from its hiding place. Its maneuverability in such tight quarters was amazing. It darted about, finally settled upside down on tiny clawed feet and folded its transparent wings with stick-like skeletal bones. It seemed content to wait until this lumbering giant moved on. A  
scarlet tongue, twice the size of the mouth that enclosed it, flicked between razor sharp teeth, and began to lick its face.

The sight enraged Danziger. All his frustration channeled into this one lone creature and he went after it with every intention of ripping it apart. His angry growl echoed through the cavern as he backed toward it and he only  
succeeded in chasing it up a dark fissure. It was long gone by the time he pointed the LumaLight in the direction in which it disappeared. The only thing he caught was the scent of fresh air in a shaft that was wide enough to point a possible way out.

"Julia!" He crawled forward, adrenaline supplying a false energy. So eager and excited to tell her the good news, the sight of the woman trembling stunned him. "What? What is it?"

She grabbed his arm, holding on for dear life. She shook and something close to a sob escaped her lips. It dawned on him that he had left her alone in the dark while he had rushed away in an opposite direction. The  
trauma of the Grendler attack had finally hit her with this new assault. Add to that a fear of abandonment and her reaction was understandable.

"Shhh. it's okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left that way but I think I found the way out." He stroked her hair, trying to find the words to comfort her. "We're going to get out of here, Doc. I promise, I won't leave you again."

She shook her head in understanding. So dehydrated, her body could not find enough moisture to shed tears, it went through the motion of dry heaving a good cry.

xxx

Alonzo rolled over, spitting blood and sand from a split lip. His eyes darted about, remembering the attack. His gear lay a few meters away. Keeping low and out of sight, he crawled on his belly to retrieve it. The pilot leaned back against the hard surface of a nearby boulder and flicked on the transmission switch. "Walman? Anyone? Come in. Do you read me?"

Bess's voice came back clearly. "Alonzo? What's going on? Why are you asking for Walman? Isn't he with you?"

"No. We were attacked by something from the air. They came at us all at once. We tried to beat them off. I fell off the ATV. There's no sign of Walman or the vehicle."

"Okay, I'm going to tell the others. Hang on."

Alonzo scanned the sky while he waited. Finally, Yale came on-line with Morgan yapping excitedly in the background.

"Alonzo, we can see Walman heading back. I believe you were attacked by bats. It appears the majority are still after him, although the ATV is running slightly ahead. We are trying to determine the best course of action. Are you all right?"

Morgan yelled in the background. "The MagPro grenade. We can take the whole flock out with a few well placed  
shots."

"Well placed by who? No way you're getting your hands on grenades, Martin." Baines shot back.

The pilot ignored the distraction. "I'm fine. I think they forgot all about me. I was dumped into some low brush and am pretty well hidden so I'm going on. I have the coordinates and I'm not far from their signal. I should be okay if I keep down and out of sight."

"Alonzo, maybe you should wait until we catch up. It's not safe for you to proceed alone."

"I'll be careful. Look Yale, I can't explain it but I feel that Julia and Danziger need help now. I'm not going to let them down by sitting here and waiting until it might be safe. I'll contact you again when I know on Walman. He's the only one you can help now."

xxx

Finding the passage was only the first small step. Danziger had no intention of leaving the doctor behind but they both knew her injury would greatly hamper their chances of success. They decided it would be better if she went first this time.

Danziger slid out of the way so that Julia had complete access to the opening. She used her arms and eventually was able to pull herself into a sitting position, the upper part of her body disappearing into the passageway.

"How is it? Can you manage?"

"Give me a minute." Sitting up brought on a lightheaded feeling. Julia closed her eyes until the feeling passed. "This is going to be the hard part."

Feeling around for a smooth area to plant her hands, she tested her arms, lifting her lower body with their strength so that she could favor her leg. The space opened up inside and she was able to sit, once her hips cleared the lip. It helped relieve the strain on the one leg that held her upright. Trying not to think about what might be crawling on the walls, she leaned back and swung the good limb up, then slowly, painfully pulled the other to join it.

"Okay, your turn." She told Danziger breathlessly.

The mechanic had a terrible time. In a stomach down position, he had to arch his spine in an almost back breaking angle to inch his way in and up. He was completely spent by the time he sat beside her. "If I didn't hurt so bad, I would've sworn it felt good to sit up." His voice was ragged and hoarse. "How are you doing?"

The doctor just nodded. Danziger thought she didn't look good at all.

He searched the chimney's wall with the light The uneven surface would offer foot and hand holds for the climb. There were signs and a smell that the animal he chased was only a single member of a larger group that lived and excreted waste here. The climb would be treacherous on slick stones, deadly if either of them slipped. He would have to support Julia as well as himself and he wondered how he would find the strength.

"Let's catch our breath and rest a bit before we go on." Danziger needed time to gather his strength back.

"Okay. I want to wrap my leg, make sure the bandage is tight. Can you direct the light this way?"

"Sure. Good idea."

He watched her unwind the encrusted wrapping, exposing an ugly line of puncture wounds. A runny liquid oozed from the raw lacerations. She was all business as she inspected and rewrapped the injury. He wondered if her tolerance for pain was higher than most due to her chromo-tilting. If they were going to get out of here, it better be.

"I'll let you go first. Take your time. Looks like some wider ledges up there. Aim for that. Stop and rest." Danziger helped the doctor up and supported her as she began the ascent. He watched her inch her way up, trailing the bad leg, groaning when she was forced to put weight on it.

He began to climb beside her, ready to offer a hand whenever possible. Danziger pulled ahead to reach the first ledge wide enough to rest on. He pulled the woman up and held her tightly against his chest which was hammering with exertion. They both reeked with the combined odors of sweat, dirt, blood and bat dropping. Yet, they huddled close like frightened children taking comfort in each other's physical presence. Their thoughts drifted toward those they struggled to survive for.

xxx

Julia would have been surprised to learn that her thoughts did not have far to travel. Alonzo was quickly closing the distance between them as he put all concern for his own safety aside.

"Alonzo? Alonzo, come in."

"I'm here, Devon. What's wrong? Is Walman all right?"

"Yes. Yes, he's fine. He's been bitten, but it's nothing serious. The creatures broke off their attack before he reached us. Yale thinks they might be territorial and won't go outside a certain range."

"So you're calling to warn me that they may be headed back this way."

"Yes. I want you to stay out of sight until we can lure them back."

"How do you plan to do that safely?"

"Morgan is working on something. We're sending Zero back in the ATV to draw them away from your location but we need time."

The pilot was torn, he was so close to the signal. "How much time?"

Devon watched as the robot was sent off as a decoy. "We're sending Zero out now. We'll follow him with infrared. As soon as I know they've taken the bait, I'll give you the all clear. We might not draw them all so you'll still have to be careful."

"Understood, I'll be careful." Alonzo signed off and glanced up at the sky.

Danziger's locator beeped clearly, signaling its location about 200 meters ahead. The pilot no intention of waiting.

Devon had no choice but to cut her signal. Perhaps Alonzo thought the transmissions might give away his position. She looked out into the darkness worrying about her missing crew mates remembering another time when Danziger, Julia and Alonzo had been missing. Personal feelings aside, their skills were the most valuable to the group's well being and the hope of reaching New Pacifica. How many times could they risk fate and have things turn out well?

xxx

As Danziger relaxed, his leg slipped forward sending a spray of peddles over the edge of the ledge they rested on. The sound jerked him awake. The big mechanic felt a flutter of fear as he realized the danger of letting his guard down. Seconds after they had taken a break, both had fallen into an exhausted sleep. One more mistake like that and it would be all over.

"Julia. Come on, wake up. We have to keep moving." He shook the woman, who's head rested heavily against his chest.

"Hmmmm....tired."

"I know but we don't watch it, we'll wind up sleeping permanently."

The doctor groaned with movement. "I'm so thirsty. I was hoping this was just a bad dream."

"It is but you don't get to wake up till we get out of here."

In the dim light, Julia searched his face to see if he really believed they would. The small surge of energy she felt at finding the new tunnel had been spent in the climb to their present position. They were both dehydrated and weak from the ordeal but Julia knew she was reaching the limit of her endurance. To push herself would only endanger them both.

"John, I don't think I can go on. Why don't you go ahead and get help?"

"No, no way I'm leaving you. We're in this together. We'll climb this section together. I'll be right beside you to help. Come on. You'll feel better once you get moving."

She was too spent to argue and allowed him to help her up.

The mechanic lit the rock walled surface, picking the best route. "There. That will be our next break."

The light rested on a ledge about 10 meters above them.

"It's not far." He started up and swung back to allow her under him. By leaning back, his arms and body length were long enough to allow the doctor to climb between him and the wall. At one point, Julia's leg brushed him and he felt the dampness of the dressing around her leg. Looking down, he saw a smear of fresh blood across his chest.

Julia's ascent had slowed considerably. Just a meter short of their goal, she gave up, unable to go any further. "I can't." Her legs were visibly shaking from the strain. She leaned against the surface, trapped within his protective embrace.

"Julia, we're almost there."

Frustrated and hurt, she cried, "I can't."

"Okay, you don't have to move. Just stay there. Since we're only a few feet below it, I'm going to climb over you and pull myself up on the ledge. Once I'm there, I can reach over and pull you up. All right?

She nodded.

Digging into reserves he didn't know he possessed, he climbed half way past her and reached up for the outcropping stone. "Got it."

Julia made a fatal mistake. She looked up. Everything seemed to close into a narrow field of focus just before fading into darkness. Danziger felt her falling back across his legs. Fear drove instinct past his numb brain waves. Hanging by his fingertips, he managed to catch her upper body between his thighs.

As if he were climbing a rope, he entwined his lower legs into a locked position. Julia was secure for the moment but Danziger felt as if he was being torn apart on a rack. His fingers grew numb, his arms rubbery. Either he let her go or they both went. The decision was overdue.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Alonzo checked the coordinates of Danziger's gear signal. It was originating somewhere directly in front of him. Sand draped boulders were scattered across his line of vision. He wondered if one of them marked the Rail's tomb.

If the Rail had been buried during the duststorm, where were Julia and Danziger? He started forward and stopped. The strong scent of Grendler drifted up wind to his position. He heard them before he saw them, grunting angrily out by the farthest dune. Keeping low, he crept forward.

Figuring a little discretion couldn't hurt, the pilot worked his way commando style toward a better view. It seemed the Grendlers had found something and were digging furiously in an ungainly display of wasted motion. Periodically, they would check the sky, each others' progress and fight over the small articles that one of them would come across. Alonzo was sure of one thing, they had found the Rail. One of the beasts pulled Danziger's MagPro loose. Alonzo cringed as the others tried to pull it away from him and a general ruckus ensued.

A sudden beeping from his forgotten gear sent the pilot into a panic. He quickly switched off the audio, and shoved the urgently blinking light under his jacket. Had the Grendlers detected the sound? Alonzo waited, hardly daring to breath in the ensuing silence.

Time passed. Eventually curiosity drove him to risk a glimpse. He laid in the hollow of a small gully. Slowly, he raised his head to a point where he could see the shape of the half uncovered vehicle. The Grendlers were gone. Eyes straining, he searched the landscape for movement and caught something. A lighter shape against a darker backdrop. In the blink of an eye it was gone. But where? Alonzo found it difficult to believe the sound of his gear would have frightened the Grendlers off.

The gear! Maybe Danz and Julia had returned to camp. With another cautious glance around, he pulled it from his jacket. The light called with silent urgency.

Donning the equipment, he reactivated the audio and spoke softly. "Eden Advance, this is Alonzo. Come in."

Devon's relief was evident in her tone. "Alonzo, we've been trying to reach you!"

"I decided not to wait. I found the Rail."

"And?" If she was angry with him for disobeying her order, it was overridden by curiosity.

"A group of Grendlers were in the process of digging it out. They didn't seem too friendly so I decided to keep out of sight. Your signal took a few years off my life. I think I was able to shut it down before they heard it but something made them bolt just now. One minute they were there, the next, they're gone."

"Julia and Danziger?"

"No sight of them. I saw a Grendler pull Danziger's MagPro from the Rail just before they took off."

There was silence on the other end. Their thoughts were of a like mind, both knew something had gone wrong. Danziger would never voluntarily leave his weapon behind.

"Could they have been buried with the Rail?" Devon's voice with hushed.

"I don't think so. I've been moving toward it as we're talking. The Grendlers seemed to have moved enough of the dirt so that anything big, like Danzinger, would stick out."

Alonzo started toward the area where he had last seen a shadow. Something cuffed him from behind. A stabbing pain above his right ear sent him pitching forward. He hit the ground and rolled. The gear flew from his head landing a distance away. Instinctively his hand reached up to cover the pain. He felt the wet stickiness of his own blood. Something darted at his face. A flutter of wings filled his ears, brushing softly before razor teeth tore the skin on his cheek. He knew suddenly why the Grendlers had disappeared.

Pulling the jacket up to protect his face, he stumbled forward. The bats bit his exposed hands and clung to his clothing. Clawed feet roamed the material looking for exposed flesh. Blinded by pain and desperation, he crashed into a solid rock surface. Alonzo fell backward, staggered by the blow. The bats rose into the air and settled back down, descending like an angry dark cloud to cover him. He rolled, hands covering his eyes trying to shed the ripping talons that sought purchase.

Devon's voice droned on in the distance. She was unaware that the person she was talking to had been grotesquely transformed into a shape that bore no resemblance to a human being.

Hundreds of wings jutted at odd angles, their skeletal bones pale through transparent skin. They continued to swarm, jockeying for position. The pilot was draped in a living, pulsating shroud. Hungry mouths fought for a space to feast. Long pink tongues flicked greedily, their saliva adding an anticoagulant to keep the blood flowing steadily from hundreds of tiny slash marks.

Devon continued, "Morgan has worked out a signal to confuse the bat's echo location. Sent over our gear's frequency it should protect you. Alonzo, are you copying this?"

Alonzo staggered weakly to his feet. He was growing faint as the creatures sucked away his life. The lip of the cave entrance stretched just beyond him. For a second, he was vaguely aware that he stepped into emptiness. A signal, too high pitched for the human ear to detect, emitted from his abandoned headset. It sent Alonzo's tormentors heavenward just before his bloodied, unconscious body plunged into the cavern's dark maw.

xxx

A sound of grunting, stones bouncing and ricocheting down an endless corridor, noise registered first in Julia's reviving senses. She opened her eyes. Why was everything still dark? Breathing was difficult. Something held her in a crushing embrace. Her hand reached out to break the hold and touched material, foul smelling and grimy, over straining leg muscles. Danziger whimpered above. She felt his grip on her slip. Faced with the precariousness of their situation, fear blew away the remaining cobwebs in her brain.

The doctor reached out, feeling for texture, something to hold on to while her feet tested the wall's surface looking for that niche or crag that would support her weight. There was jolt as the mechanic slipped another inch. His body shook in violent protest against the continuing strain.

"John, hang on. I think...yes...I've got hold of something."

Danziger felt as if someone had propped a chair under his dangling feet. Julia began supporting her weight taking some of the strain off him. Spots still danced in front of his eyes, his arms still burned with fatigue but he managed a deep breath. After a few seconds passed, he reached deep, pushing his body past the limits of endurance to climb.

The ledge was gained over time, each agonizing centimeter paid for with strains and torn muscles. In the end, Danziger could only offer his limb like a rope, something Julia managed to climb in her own passage out of hell.

Somewhere, a few feet past them, an opening allowed a continuous flow of cool fresh air. The shaft bent horizontally at this point. The worst seemed to be over. Instinct warned the mechanic against stopping. The coming dawn would mark the return of the creatures who owned these tunnels.

Danziger retrieved the light from his pocket and crawled forward. Disoriented and weak with thirst and exhaustion, the window to freedom wavered before him, a thin, jagged fracture in the earth's crust. Beyond the narrow fissure, the barren windswept desert shimmered in moonlight. Feeling reborn in every sense of the word, he poked his head and shoulder free. The intoxicating smell of cactus blossoms filled the air. He recognized the plant blooming before him. Reaching out, unmindful of the thorns that pierced his skin, he tore off a section and squeezed its juice into his mouth.

Warm, thick and slightly bitter, the liquid was life-giving. Twice it had saved his. Pushing against the rock that held him prisoner, he tore another piece free. Offering a silent apology to the plant, he leaned back and let the precious liquid trickle down his throat.

"Julia? Come on, try some of this." Danziger directed a trickle of fluid on to the woman's cracked lips.

She responded, swallowing painfully at first then with increasing eagerness until the pod was drained.

"There's more where this came from but you'll have to be the one to reach it. I tried. I don't fit through the opening."

xxx

The crew of Eden Advance waited anxiously for Devon's decision. Ever since Alonzo's transmission had broken off, the tension had been building. Morgan's confidence in his device's ability to keep the pilot safe from the bloodsucking, winged menace couldn't dispel the unease that was growing. Something must have happened to Alonzo. His gear registered as receiving but their frantic calls for acknowledgment went unanswered.

Devon paced nervously. The action did little to vent her increasing frustration. She wondered how she could have ever been naive enough to believe that traveling across an unknown planet would simply be a matter of moving from Point A to Point B. In reality, all her plans and schedules had been thrown out long ago. Now it was just a matter of if they would survive the distance between.

Baines and Walman, to their credit, had volunteered to go back into the danger zone to search for the team's missing members. The leader of the Eden Project however was not about to risk two more of her crew. After all, three people had already disappeared without a trace.

Torn by indecision and agonizing over the fate of her friends, Devon looked into the dark, empty night.

xxx

It was the Grendler who had bitten Julia who discovered Alonzo. The creature had been agitated ever since it had been deprived of its blood meal. Salivary glands wetted by the taste of the salty liquid had shifted in high gear causing a constant flow of thick rubbery drool to dribbled from its oversize mouth. It prowled the tunnels driven by a physical need for more.

The creature had approached the fallen figure cautiously. Its large cow-like eyes darted about, taking in the bundled clothing. A flick of its foot rolled the pilot onto his back. The Grendler gasped at the sight as scarlet steams of the precious liquid ran freely from tiny incisor marks on his hands, neck and face.

The Beast shimmied with happiness knowing what had transpired. Driven by the winged tormentors, this large male had fallen into the Grendler's den and lay stunned. A large leathery hand ripped the fabric covering aside, laying bare the pilot's throat. The fluttering beat in the hollow of Alonzo's throat excited it. Memories of similar kills, a strong bite to the throat, shaking its massive head back and forth would eventually tear through the thin skin. The ruptured vessels would spurt like a fountain.

Grendler drool, thickened with anticipation, dripped onto the spot where the pilot's pulse beat unaware of the oversized mouth that descended upon it. A noise echoed through the tunnels and the Grendler stopped, ears pivoting in the direction of the sound. The thirsting Grendler became agitated, recognizing the familiar shuffling of his approaching companions. Determined they would not steal his prize, the beast grabbed hold of the pilot's shirt and began dragging him through a narrow passageway to a pit.

The Grendler stopped and listened. If he hurried back and covered his tracks his friends would be none the wiser. Later, when they slept, he would come back and feast alone. A push of his foot sent Alonzo's still form into the dark shaft. A few seconds later, a heavy thud announced his contact with the bottom. A few well placed boulders would muffle sound and insure his victim would not be going anywhere.

xxx

Revived somewhat by the plant's liquid, Julia was able to find enough strength to crawl along with Danziger as he headed in the direction of the spot where he had found an exit. The rocky ledge was slimy with droppings and sloped into emptiness so Julia proceeded cautiously.

At one point, Danziger's light swung wildly. She heard him curse and there was a thumping sound followed by a squeal. In the light's arc her eyes caught the reflection of hundreds above, small juvenile bats hung from the ceiling like grotesque grape clusters, watching as one of their own was clubbed for attacking the invader.

Danziger beat the creature off with the light as it's teeth sunk into his skin. Julia tore her eyes away from the ceiling in time to see the mechanic's defensive move. The Lumalight's beam cut into the darkness following the injured creature's spiraling descent.

Instead of hitting the floor, the bat was engulfed by it. The crew members watched in horror as a dark wave rose around the creature. It struggled briefly before sinking out of sight. The ground moved, devoured, a living carpet of dark, hard shelled insects which found life in death, sustenance from whatever fell from above. Julia broke out into a cold sweat, while Danziger gulped. He had been so distracted by thirst, the surroundings of his first trip hadn't registered.

"You okay?" He asked.

Julia found herself nodding. Her throat too dry to produce sound. She must have grunted something he took as an affirmative because he began to move on. The thought of what waited below and above locked Julia's will to proceed. Fear froze her to the spot.

Danziger and the light vanished, leaving her alone in the dark.

xxx

Yale found Devon pacing nervously inside the hastily constructed communications tent.

"Anything?" he asked.

"No. No word from Alonzo. Nothing from Julia and Danzinger."

The tutor noticed the shadows of worry and exhaustion around Devon's eyes. He knew any suggestion that she rest would be fruitless so he tried to comfort her the best he knew how. "It will be light soon. These creatures are nocturnal. Soon they will return to their dens. We'll be able to go in and search without worrying about the danger of an attack."

The leader of Eden Advance joined the older man at the entrance and scanned the night sky. False dawn, a gradual brightening foretold the approach of the true dawn less then an hour away. "I hope you're right. We can't afford to lose anyone else."

"We will find them, Devon. At first light, Walman and I will go out and find them just like we did last time. Everything will be all right." He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and she rested her head wearily across his shoulder, praying it would be so.

xxx

The pit that Alonzo laid in was far darker then any night sky. The creatures that inhabited this world had been born without eyes. They navigated by touch and smell and one had suddenly came across a large alien presence in its midst.

A long tubular worm, looking much like a thick snake, was the first to explore the pilot. Its head was composed of long, feathered feelers which it used to sweep the surrounding area. Tiny hairs covered with a sticky mucus caught small particles and bits of food which it eagerly swept into a gaping mouth located at the base of the feathered branches.

The pilot moaned. A tickling sensation was prodding him from unconsciousness. His attempt to brush it away ended with a startled awakening as his hand met the soft skin of the worm. It immediately coiled to protect itself. Alonzo pushed blindly in the darkness at the weight on his chest. The creature began to slide backwards as he attempted to rise.

Feeling its world shifting, the feathers flared open, exposing the worm's anterior mouth which contained three toothed plates. It used these to anchor itself to the base it was exploring.

Alonzo felt the brief pain of the bite, then a spreading numbness. He grabbed his assailant in an attempt to pull it free. Its tail twisted, opening up a rear sucker which attached itself to his arm. Again the pain of the bite was quickly followed by numbness.

The pilot staggered, hitting the wall that lined his prison. "Help me! Somebody, help me." His voice echoed in the sealed tomb. He felt desperately for a way out with his good arm. The other hung at his side paralyzed by the creature's sting.

The animal hung at its anchor points, draped contentedly between his chest and upper arm. Exhausted and feeling faint, Alonzo leaned back against the wall. He slid down into a sitting position.

There was a slight tugging on his skin as the weight of the worm settled in its new position. Gingerly he touched the creature. It remained firmly planted. The tubular body was soft and segmented, the surface of each ring covered with warty papillae. It quivered under his fingertips, both mouths immediately burrowed deeper into his flesh. The pilot felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He couldn't seem to think, perhaps if he laid down he'd feel better. Sliding sideways, his head came to rest on the rough stone flooring. A few inches from where he laid a mucous cocoon stretched under the protection of an overhanging rock. Inside, the worm's young were about to hatch.

xxx

"Open your eyes!"

Impatiently tense, Danziger's voice rumbled in the dark cavern. Julia's eyes flew open. She hadn't even realized she had closed them.

"Let's go. We're running out of time."

She hesitated and the big mechanic could see the woman trembling in the small beam of light. He wasn't sure if it was fear or the effects of shock from all the physical punishment her body had been subjected to.

"It's all right. Here, take my hand. I won't let you fall."

The doctor reached out toward her companion. As their hands touched, an explosion of shadows and sound filled the cavern. Both Julia and Danziger flinched as they were raked by the wings and claws of hundreds of returning bats fleeing the first light of dawn. They covered their faces with their hands and gave away the security of a stable grip on the surrounding surface.

Precariously balanced on the ledge and partially blocking the tunnel to the surface, Danziger took the worst of the assault. He swung wildly and faced his attackers as sharp teeth opened a gaping cut on his neck. The smell of fresh blood drove the creatures into a frenzy and they targeted his exposed face, driving him forward.

As he was hit by another wave of the creatures, the blow forced him into Julia, knocking them both off balance. For a moment they teetered on the edge, before Julia tumbled off. Danziger managed to hang on a few seconds longer before following the doctor into the inky darkness.

The vision of the type of death waiting below flashed before Julia's mind just before she hit bottom. Her fall was cushioned by a thick mixture of bat dung, sand and the soft-shelled insects which were crushed beneath her weight. Any relief of surviving the jarring impact evaporated into horror as Julia felt herself being swallowed by a quicksand of foul smelling guano and slithering arthropods.

She couldn't breathe, didn't dare try as she sunk beneath a mass of wiggling invaders who dug at her closed eyelids and pushed into her nose and ear canals. Her mind screamed as the nightmarish penetration continued under her clothing, the nips and strings of tiny relentless jaws attacked her flesh. Submerged in a living pool of assorted beetles, roaches, centipedes and grotesque creepy crawlers, she thrashed violently, driven to the very brink of madness.

Danziger's impact moments later collapsed the flooring which supported the whole squirming mess. It spilled the doctor, the mechanic and thousands of panicked bugs downward into a deep running stream.

Over the eons, the ebb and flow of water-born minerals had built up a crusty scale against the rock. It formed a thin dome which eventually closed. The thin plated layering which supported the crawling inhabitants, barely survived Julia's weight. Danziger's bulk crumbled it instantly.

The mechanic barely noticed his passage from one liquefied mass to another. He rose sputtering and gasping for air and swallowed an equal portion of bugs, oxygen and foul tasting water. Along with insult came injury as he received a smashing blow to the nose. Julia surfaced in front of him still wrapped in the hallucinating nightmare of the preceding moments.

With both arms, Danziger pinned her to his body and rolled onto his back trying to keep the deranged woman's head above water. Half floating, half drowning they were swept into a dark passage as the underground river carried them deep into the earth.

xxx

"What happened?" Devon was visibly shaken as she rushed to Yale's side.

The elderly man was doubled up and in apparent agony.

"We were moving some crates. Yale wanted a medical kit but Julia's stuff got shuffled after we dug out from the storm. The medical supplies are buried under all this." Baines indicated the various crates of equipment the team packed in the TransRover each night.

"He was lifting one when suddenly he collapsed and started groaning. I was going to give him a hand if he'd have just waited a few minutes."

"Yale, can you talk to me? Where does it hurt?"

The tutor's eyes reflected the agony he felt. "I must have pulled something. Such a stupid thing to do..I'm sure I'll be fine in a few moments."

"I'm sure you will be." Devon raised her head looking to see who was close by. "Cameron, Baines, give me a hand getting him to the tent."

"No..No..Devon, there's no need for that, just let me rest a second."

"You'll rest better and so will I as soon as Julia checks you over and says you're all right."

"Devon.." Yale didn't finish.

For a second, Devon had forgotten Julia was not in camp to give that evaluation. "When she gets back, that is."

The men glanced at each other. No one wanted to voice the "if" word that popped into everyone's head.

"Okay, easy now." Devon supervised as Yale was lifted onto a backboard and carried into a nearby tent.

Baines caught her arm. "No way he's going to be able to go on the search. Walman's in no shape either, he's all cut up from those things."

"Are you volunteering?"

His startled look gave her the answer. "Devon, no one wants to go out there with those things. How many people do we have to lose? Danziger, Julia and Alonzo have all disappeared without a trace."

"Yale seems to think it's safe to search now. The creatures don't come out in the light."

"Yea? What if Dansziger and Julia aren't in the light? Another thing, Morgan swore that device he made would protect Alozno but we haven't heard Jack Squat from him since last night. I wouldn't be surprised if they got him, too."

"I don't want to hear that sort of talk. If you don't want to go then fine, no one is making you but I don't want to hear you or anyone else speculating or writing anyone off without knowing what's happened. We... I am going out to find them and I will bring them back."

Baines watched her storm off before he mumbled to himself. "Yea, dead or alive?"

Adair gathered the remaining members of Eden Advance. She was deadly serious and all business. "Yale has just been hurt. I would like a volunteer to go with me to search for our three missing crew mates. I don't need to tell you there is some risk but based on our research I feel we should be relatively safe in the daylight. No one should feel obligated to accompany me. I intend to go with or without you."

There was muttering and exchanged looks. Devon searched their faces but found no one who would meet her eyes. She turned away from them feeling very let down and walked to Yale's tent to tell him of her decision.

"Devon, you cannot go alone. This is madness. Your responsibility is here with the children, with this group. It's you who must lead them on to New Pacifica."

"What kind of leader puts his or her own safety above all others? I sent John and Julia out on that scout. I feel responsible for their safety. I'm going to find them no matter how long it takes."

Yale tried to rise but the pain stopped him. "I'm sure I'll be able to manage..."

"You're not going anywhere and you know it. I promise to stay in contact with camp and I'll be back before dark."

"You always were a stubborn child."

"Say a prayer they're safe." Devon gave him a quick kiss. "I have to go. I want to say good-bye to Uly. You rest. Bess will watch the kids until I get back."

"Devon....please be careful."

"I will." She turned so that he would not see her eyes.

If anything happened to her, the responsibility for Uly and Eden Project -- her mission -- , would fall on Yale. It would be a terrible burden for this dear old man to bear alone.

Uly accompanied her to the ATV. "Why can't I go with you? The Terrians wouldn't let anything happen to me and I can make them take care of you, too."

"I need you to stay here and take care of Yale. Be a good boy for him. All right?"

"Ahh Mom, anyone can do that."

"Give me a kiss."

She knelt down. They kissed and held each other close. She was use to living one day at a time, worrying about his health and safety. Now he was learning to do the same for her.

Reluctantly he returned to Bess's side. True stood to the other side of the woman watching Devon closely.

"True, I will find your Dad and bring him back."

"I know."

Devon knew it was the most she would get out of the child. She hugged the girl and kissed the top of her head but got no response. True saved every emotion for her father. Devon didn't want to have to face her if anything had happened to John.

Bess had volunteered to go with her but Devon wanted her with the children. She put Morgan in charge of communications. If Bess had gone with her, he would have driven them crazy with worry.

Devon shouldered her pack and walked to the ATV. Baines, Cameron, Mazatl, Magus, Denner and a battered Walman stood waiting.

She half expected a protest but Cameron stepped forward and said, "We all wanted to go but since it could only be one of us, we flipped for the honor. I won."

Devon swallowed a sudden lump in throat. "Thank you, everyone of you."

They all knew this was a private mission for their leader so they didn't push the issue. All they could do to show their support was load the supplies and speed them on their way.

xxx

On the Dreamplane, Alonzo roamed the dark tunnels of the past. The distorted sound of a metal against stone, a muttering of voices, followed by a shout and groans pointed the way. He stumbled disoriented by sudden brightness shining from the walls. There were soldiers, uniformed backs blocked his view of what was transpiring in front of them.

"Clean this mess up." barked orders echoed from a distant time.

The pulsating cadence of the Dreamplane had the pilot spinning as he worked his way forward. The men parted and Alonzo saw a familiar figure......Gaal kneeling beyond them. A stream of dark liquid flowed from the convict to the Dreamer until it met his boots. Finding its path blocked, it pooled then continued around his feet. Alonzo reached down, touching it with his fingers. Warm and sticky, blood red, the pilot followed the stream's path, past the penal colonist, to where a body lay in the shadows.

xxx

"Someone is laughing at you Johnny-boy." Danziger's mind taunted him. "One minute dying of thirst, the next struggling to keep from drowning."

The blackness blotted out hope as the river swept them away from any chance of rescue.

How could things have gone this wrong? It was beyond bad luck at this point. John wondered if Katrina, Gaal or maybe both had joined forces in some G889 after-life to haunt and torture him in the remaining hours of his life.

Cold and numb with fatigue he sunk under the surface. Julia struggled in his arms as he pulled her with him. He tried to kick his way up but her weight held him under. His lungs pleaded for air and in a desperate bid to survive, he let go of the doctor and struggled toward what he hoped was the surface.

Danziger caught the faint glow of light flickering through the water that streamed from his face and into his eyes as he broke the surface. He swallowed some water as he gasped for air, creating a spasm of coughing. He went under but this time, a half meter down, his feet touched bottom. Kicking hard he fought his way forward into shallower water. Veins of Morganite in the surrounding rock lit the surface of the water creating a wavering marbled effect on the passage walls. The mechanic used their light to crawl up a small sloping beach.

"Julia?" Bracing on his elbow, he cried out her name as he glanced back at the dark, unbroken surface.

There was only the sound of the rushing stream.

Danziger's head dropped onto his forearms and a groan turned into a sob. His hands dug deep into the glistening sand and squeezed with frustration. The river had either swallowed or swept away Julia Heller. He was alone.

xxx

The water swirled and turned a ruby color as Gaal soaked up the pool of blood. He'd have to lose the guard to trade with the Grenders again. This bucket should be worth what he had demanded from the hideous creatures -- a weapon.

These creatures, Grendlers, had appeared not long after the penal colony had been established. They tried to trade at first but the guards drove them away so they returned to steal what they wanted instead

It was by chance, when Gaal was made to clean up another accident that he discovered the Grendlers were unearthing the dead convict soon after burial and stealing the corpse's wrappings. The smell of dried blood on this particular shroud must have drawn their attention. Gaal found them sucking on the stained cloth like contented babies.

Instead of running, they shoved the wrappings at him and demanded more, offering pillaged items in return. His cunning mind instantly seized the opportunity and through sign language he communicated his desires. He killed a fellow inmate and made it look like an accident. The man's blood was traded for a weapon with which he won his freedom.

Alonzo witnessed it all. He was a spectator to events on the Dreamplane, where the past became the present. As a dreamer on G889, there was no normal awakening when the eyes opened and a safe, warm, reality returned. This was a nightmare that was real, occurring both inside and outside his mind. His eyes were already opened and unmoving, transfixed as the planet downloaded Gaal's evil history into his psyche.

Centimeters from his head, small pressure waves moved across the cocoon. The larva were breaking through their silken womb. Soon there would be hundreds of hungry mouths to feed. The blood lust started so many years ago would be passed on to succeeding generations.

xxx

Using Alonzo's abandoned VR signal as a beacon, Cameron and Devon spotted the wrecked DuneRail in the distance. Both of them leaned forward, searching for any signs of their missing friends but only Dust-devils danced across the horizon.

Devon was out first, MagPro balanced and ready as Cameron pulled up beside the Rail. She kept watch as he surveyed the damage. "Can you get it running?"

"Looks like it. The driver's side took the worst of the impact but it may be just a matter of bending things enough to free the wheel up."

The big man went to work while Devon widened her search pattern, always keeping an eye on their surroundings. She found the pilot's gear not far from the Rail. The wind dusted sand across recent tracks. She followed the shuffling steps with growing unease as the drama played itself out before her mind's eye, the abandoned equipment, what appeared to be dried blood on hard surfaces, signs of a struggle ending suddenly at an opening in the earth.

Morgan's device had come too late to help Alonzo. The trail lead to the pit was almost hidden from view by the recent storm.

The trail had ended but Devon had little doubt the cave would hold the answer to Alonzo's disappearance. Had Danziger and Julia ended up here too looking for a refuge from the storm? If so, then what danger waited in the darkness that allowed them to enter and not return?

Cameron voice startled her. "I got her running. Found this." He held up Danziger's MagPro. "They must have been in a big hurry for John to leave it."

"So wherever they went, they were unarmed. Any sign of Julia's medical kit?"

"Ahh, no, I didn't see it."

"I can't see Danziger leaving his weapon unless there was a reason he couldn't carry it."

"Think one of them was injured?"

"I'd be guessing but I'd lay odds it was Danziger. I think that explains why the medical kit was chosen over the MagPro. I think we'll find the answers to our questions in there." She walked to the edge of the opening and peered into the darkness. "Alonzo's gear was on when I found it, just a few meters away from here. This is where his tracks end."

Cameron raised Danziger's MagPro. "Let's go."

xxx

Julia had little memory of events. Time was an unending gauntlet of misery. She closed her eyes and held her breath against the breaking waves that beat against her face. She couldn't swim, was barely managing to float in the swift current. Danziger, her one link of hope had disappeared. If she had opened her eyes, she might have seen the light, seen him reaching shallower water. The bottom came up to meet her and missed by a foot. She passed by unaware of how close salvation had come.

John Danziger walked to the water's edge and raised his light. He circled the area around the whirlpool searching until something bobbing in an adjacent eddy closer to shore caught his attention. He waded out and immediately felt the strong pull of the current as it caught his legs, almost pulling them out from under him. Falling would be certain death. He angled in, one slow step at a time, waiting until the thing floated close enough to grab.

He scooped it up, prepared for resistance, but the object came away in his hand throwing the big man off balance. He fell backwards, splashing into the stream. The river caught hold, sending him sliding sideways over the rough stone bottom, he bounced against a submerged rock, tumbling and rolling in the frenzied broth. The mechanic raked the gravel of the stream, desperate for something solid to hold on to. With this as an anchor, he fought his way into shallower water until he lay panting from the effort. The sunstone still lay where he left it. Danziger crawled to the light, the laces of a boot intertwined through his bloody fingers. Pressing the sodden leather close, there was no doubt in his mind about its owner.

How long he sat there he had no idea. The air seemed to be heavily oppressive, pushing at him from all directions. His world was compressing and he adjusted curling into a fetal position for comfort. A fragment of memory, his daughter's face, buried shallow enough to signal tugged at his conscience. Like a wave, it rose, coming from the deep ocean to crash on shore. His obligation, the desire to see True once more, was enough of a motivation. At some point he rose and began the long journey back the way he had come. Barely able to lift his feet, his gait was slow and staggered. Somehow his body found the strength to go on, following some primal instinct of survival. His mind however disconnected, too exhausted to go on.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Unaware he was being followed, the Grendler rushed back to the pit. Anticipation of a solitary blood feast ended with the discovery of uninvited guests. A large Fire worm and her numerous offspring were either dining or about to partake of the Grendler's meal. He snorted with rage at being robbed again. The beast was frustrated yet unwilling to risk a blistering attack of Fire worm venom.

On his back, Alonzo looked up. Unable to see a thing in the darkness, the pilot was unaware of what the Grendler's sharp eyes took in. A brood of worm hatchlings were crawling toward him, drawn by their mother's scent and the smell of a fresh meal.

"Please, I need help!"

The Grendler grunted, looking around for a solution.

The pilot didn't have to wait long. Alonzo jumped, startled by a heavy impact close to his head. The creature on his chest slid off. At first he thought it had just shifted from his movement. He touched himself, feeling the sticky indentation where it had been.

"It worked. Whatever you did worked." Alonzo relief was cut short as something painfully grazed his shoulder. Another smaller rock bounced off his head. "Ouch! Hey, cut it out. Stop!! It's gone you don't have to toss anything else down."

The shower of rocks continued to rain on the trapped pilot. The Grendler hoped to kill two problems with well placed stones, having learned the dead offer no resistance. He'd have his feast yet.

The worm, terrified to see the first wave of her young flattened, shaped herself into a large U and scooped the remaining babies under a crevice.

Alonzo cringed as rock chipped stone from the surrounding walls ricocheted, pelting him with deadly splinters. The barrage stopped only because the Grendler had become aware of the sounds in the tunnel. Someone had followed him.

xxx

Cameron and Devon pressed against the tunnel walls barely breathing. Whatever was coming was big. Perhaps it would have passed by and they would have gone undetected if Alonzo hadn't cried out at just that moment. What gave them away, they never knew, but Cameron was rammed against the wall by a bigger, stronger force. The MagPro pressed tighter and tighter across his chest cutting off air as he struggled against his attacker.

Devon standing close beside the big man had been knocked backward by the attack. Momentarily stunned, she fumbled with her light from a sitting position. All around her, the tunnel echoed with the clash of bodies. Something tripped over her outstretched feet and landed on top of her. Devon yelped as she was crushed under the fallen weight.

The light flared, illuminating a bruised and bloody Cameron. His finger rested on the trigger of the humming MagPro. He would have blasted the thing if he hadn't seen Devon at the last second.

Adair pushed against the weight that trapped her. Spots danced across her eyes, Alonzo screamed in the distance while the sickening smell of the creature overpowered her senses. Cameron remained frozen to the spot, a stunned expression on his face.

"For God's sake help me!"

The big man dropped to his knees, laid down his weapon and seemed about to cry. "Christ Devon, I almost fired."

Her gaze shifted to the being who looked to be from hell and back -- John Danziger.

With Cameron's help, Devon rolled the mechanic off. They propped him against the wall in a sitting position. Devon held on to his shoulders to keep him from slumping.

"John, listen to me. Alonzo is ahead of us. He needs our help. Can you stand if we both support you?"

Danziger managed to think. 'They shouldn't be here, it was too dangerous.' He tried to warn them but all that came out was incoherently mumbling.

Devon looked at Cameron in frustration. "Do you think you carry him?"

"I can try. Take the MagPro. "

Cameron hefted Danziger over his shoulder, staggering under his weight while Devon fought to control both MagPros. Together they worked their way along the twisting path, Adair leading, until the path ahead was blocked by an angry looking Grendler.

Devon stopped, uncertain how to proceed. She raised the weapons and spoke, hoping her voice conveyed a strong confidence she didn't feel. "Please step aside. We've come for our friend. I don't want to hurt you but you must allow us to help him."

The Grendler shook until his whole body bounced up and down. Something that sounded like "NO!" erupted from its mouth along with a shower of drool. He bent, picked up a good size rock and waved it menacingly over his head.

"What now?" Cameron whispered to his leader.

"Devon? Is that you?" A voice sounded somewhere behind the enraged animal.

"Yes, Alonzo. Cameron and Danziger are here with me. There's a Grendler blocking our way. Are you all right?"

"No" Alonzo's voice was weak and slurred.

"Can you come to us?"

"I'm trapped in some kind of pit with no way out."

"Hang on, we'll be there soon."

As if it understood what Devon was saying, the Grendler made a move to launch his missile.

Cameron was stunned when Devon instantly reacted to the threat by firing the MagPro. The shot hit the rock dead center, blowing it into a million pieces. The impact shook the creature. Rock crumbled and rained down from its upraised arms. With a painful wailing bellow, the Grendler shuffled off, retreating into the darkness.

"What a shot!" Cameron's beamed with admiration as they rushed forward.

Devon just nodded. She decided not to tell him she had aimed above the beast. One arming the weapon's weight had been a mistake. She fired in desperation when her strength failed to hold the target. She hoped Alonzo was in better shape than Danziger or it would take more than a lucky shot to pull off his rescue.

"Alonzo?"

"Here, I'm here." His voice was close.

The woman stopped and played her light around.

"Devon, I can see your light." The pilot directed her to his prison using the beam's intensity and the sound of his voice as a guide.

Her relief at seeing him standing below her was matched only by the joy in finding Danziger. There was no time to savor the victory however, Alonzo had to be extricated and they still had to find Julia. Devon's anxiety about the doctor's welfare had been increasing ever since John had surfaced in such bad shape without her. Devon had expected them to be found together. Alonzo, looking deathly pale but determined, relieved Devon of one of the weapons and took the position of rear guard.

As they worked their way back to the entrance, she filled him in on all she knew. "I want you to take Danziger and one of the vehicles back to camp. Cameron and I will stay and search for Julia."

"No way Devon. You and Cameron can decide who takes John back. I'm staying until I find Julia."

Alonzo's words penetrated the fog that engulfed Danziger's brain. John slowly pulled the puzzle together, the words, the tone, the long silence that followed. None of them knew what he knew, couldn't know until he told them everything, explained why it was useless to stay. No one would ever find Julia. He didn't want to be the one to break the news but he was the only one who could and he couldn't do that until he was coherent. And so began the long struggle back.

Later he would think it ironic that he abused his body in ways he would never abuse his machines but then machines were mindlessly unforgiving. Once they depleted the necessary elements to run, they simply quit. The brain on the other hand could drive the human engine well beyond conceivable expectations sometimes extracting a terrible toll in exchange.

Danziger knew Cameron's labored breathing would cause a halt soon. His chance came when his bearer slid him off and braced him against the wall. John was ready to will his thoughts into speech. "Lisen t'me."

"John?" Devon was by his side instantly, shining the damn light in his face.

He weakly pushed it away, ashamed to have her see him like this, filthy, battered and thoroughly beaten. Leaning heavily against the wall, he tried to gather the strength he'd need to proceed. Thoughts remained scattered and remembering was difficult. There was an overwhelming desire to let it all go and surrender himself to the sleep he so desperately needed.

He was aware of the sound of someone rummaging in a backpack. The mechanic jerked at the sound of hypo-spray.

"It's just a synaptic enhancer. It will help speed your recovery."

He could feel it speeding through his system, jump starting his brain like some huge defrag program. Disoriented thoughts fell into place and the mental nightmare became a physical reality. Eyes began to focus, turning blurred images into concerned familiar faces.

Danziger solved their dilemma with a minimum of words. "No one's stays." He silenced Alonzo's protest with a wave of his hand. It took time to put a longer sentences together. "You don't know what they've done. Julia and I, we found their den, barely escaped with our lives."

The others shared uneasy glances. Sure it sounded crazy but he had to tell them what they were up against.

"These Grendlers are murders of the worst kind; they kill to drink the blood of their victim."

There was no response from Alonzo as he remembered the dream. Gaal had something to do with all this.

Devon asked the next question, speaking slowly, emphasizing its importance. "John, you said you were with Julia. We need to find her. Can you help us? Do you know where she is?"

He looked away, reliving it all again in his mind. They saw him weaken, heard the break in his voice.

"She's gone. No one will ever find her."

Danziger found the pilot's dark, unbelieving eyes. "I'm sorry. Julia didn't make it."

xxx

If there was any doubt about the Grendlers, it ended with an all-out assault by the creatures at the cave entrance. Any further thought of staying ended as they were forced to fight their way clear. Luckily rocks and stones were no match for MagPros.

It was only after they gained the vehicles and sped off toward camp that the real meaning of Danziger's words hit home. Julia wasn't returning with them -- ever. According to Danziger they might never know the tragic circumstances of her death but he needed to tell the story of the events leading up to it while Devon drove the DuneRail in silence.

Alonzo sat stiffly in the back not wanting to hear the details. Denial was useless. Back in the pit, while he laid unconscious, some part of the terror of Julia's last moments had reached him on the Dreamplane. It was a feeling that the world had fallen out from under him that shocked him back into consciousness. As he remembered, he knew Danziger was right in believing Julia was dead.

xxx

The old Grendler scooped handfuls of the sparkling, clear, spring-fed water into his monstrous mouth. Here in the middle of a blazing, barren desert, underground water flowed to the surface from subterranean channels and formed small scattered pools, all of which were part of the same huge aquifer. In the past, some of the pools had dried up but this old Grendler knew every one that hadn't. He guarded his secret well for water was  
wealth to a desert trader.

This pond was by far his favorite. Feed by a deep underground stream, the water was always cool and lacked sediment. Under a cloudless sky, it took on the aquamarine color of a tropical sea. Toward the center, long stem water lilies shaded schools of tiny multicolored fish. The Grendler sighed, life was good. He began to dip for seconds when something below the water's surface caught his attention. Something, that only moments before had not been there.

As he watched, the form took on definition. A wave of gold billowed at the spring head. A tiny stream of tiny bubbles danced to the surface. Mesmerized he reached for a fist full of gossamer, half expecting it to vanish as any mirage should. Instead, it clung to the rough texture of his skin, feeling like soft silk beneath his callused palm. He pulled but met resistance. The Grendler laid on his belly. Head first, half submerged, he dug furiously around the soft sand of the spring head's opening.

The Grendler worked mostly by feel. The bottom was so churned with his digging there was no visibility to see what he pulled free. When he did finally shake, snort and blow the water from his nose and eyes, the sight that greeted him wasn't one he expected.

He scratched his head perplexed. How had a fully grown human female become wedged in so small an area? One where the water's force continually pushed out and never sucked in. Whatever the reason, he had to do something quickly.

Despite his years, he lifted her easily by the ankles, holding her upside down so that her head cleared the ground. In this position, any fluid in her lungs would spill freely from her nose and mouth. When it had, he shook her a few times for good measure before laying her down. A few seconds passed before a small cough turned into a choking fit. She groaned and heaved on her side, vomiting water ingested into her stomach.

The beast made a face at the mess he was confronted with. What was he going to do with this poor, half dead creature? It wasn't like he could throw her back. Anything this large would spoil the quality of the water as it decomposed. Maybe she was worth something to her own kind. He'd trade her back, probably taking something worthless in exchange just to be rid of her.

The old Grendler had traded with humans before. He found them ridiculously stupid. Not only could any Grendler worth his salt steal their possessions but they would actually hand over more to get a few of the same back.

A fellow Grendler told him a story, swearing that it was true. Once a human traded the clothes off his back for some spit in a bottle. They had laughed all night about that one even though it was too ludicrous to believe.

He chuckled as he pulled a tattered blanket from his sack. He would trade her to the group of humans he had been following but first he wanted to salvage anything worthwhile. He also had to be sure she would have no memory of this place.

A quick examination of the woman's body netted him a few shinning trinkets, rings from her fingers and chain from her neck. The clothing was in rags, beyond useless. He pulled the one remaining boot free and jumped back when she whimpered in pain. Her limb looked deformed, perhaps he had broken it. Small wonder. Humans were such frail creatures, nothing but skin and bones, truly ugly and totally unsuited for this world.

This setback complicated his plans. He couldn't creep silently across the desert with her screaming her head off. Rummaging in his sack once more, he pulled out a circular fibered husk. Pulling off the top, he scooped out two heaping fingers of thick blue paste.

Now came the trick, it wouldn't help to keep damaging the merchandise so as delicately as possible he pinched her nostrils shut. Just as he expected, her mouth flew open. He shoved both fingers half way down her throat, wiping the paste against the soft tissue.

Her struggle to ward off this attack ended in a flutter as the drug took effect. Wasting no time, the Grendler stuffed her in his sack and slung her over his shoulder. There was ground to cover and he intended to drop this burden in someone else's lap by nightfall.

xxx

Late in the day, a guard at Eden's camp spotted something in his Jumpers. "Hey Baines, come check this out." While he waited for his friend to join him, Walman adjusted the lens magnification to bring the object closer.

"What?"

"Look down there, about two klicks out, 3 o'clock."

Baines raised his own glasses. A gypsum dune field, white as snow, stretched below their position. At first, his scope caught only a dust trail. Upon following it, he found the source. A heavily burdened Grendler was working his way across the wind swept sand. Occasionally, the animal would disappear behind small patches of scrub. Baines had a feeling the Grendler was using it as cover.

"Think he might be one of them?"

"One of Grendlers that attacked our group? Nah, the cave is west of here. This old guy's coming from the south. It looks to me like he's headed due North. I'd say he's not even going to stop by for a visit."

"Too bad."

"Why's that?"

"I'd feel better if I could blast one of them. You know, even the score for Julia."

Incredulous, Baines snorted. "Let me gets this straight Walman; you think killing some mangy old Grendler will make you feel better about Julia."

The big blond thought about it. "When you put it that way, I guess it does sound kind of stupid."

"Yea, it does, even coming from you."

Walman decided to ignore what sounded like an insult. He focused the glasses back on the Grendler . "Wonder what he's got in that pack? It sure looks heavy."

Baines was looking too, studying the bag with interest. "Something big from the looks of it. You know, the shape and all, reminds me of someone."

"Yea? Who?"

"Never mind, it's too crazy. You'd laugh."

Seeing that Baines was serious, Walman tried to reassure him. "No I won't."

"Yes, you will."

"I won't, I promise."

"Word of honor?"

"Word of honor, cross my heart."

Baines scrutinized the other man, finally deciding to trust him. "I swear...that old Grendler, the way he's carrying that sack, he reminds me of Santa Claus."

Walman snickered.

xxx

Across camp, Devon's immediate concern was for Alonzo. The pilot had passed out after exiting the DuneRail. His crewmates carried him to a cot in the med-tent where Devon began to care for him. Off to the side, Danziger was trying his best to tend to his own wounds. He was concerned for Alonzo, appreciating the fact that the pilot had risked his life trying to help.

Yale entered the tent. Without a word, he evaluated the pilot's condition then began searching through Julia's computer files. "This seems to be the one I need"

The tutor slipped the chip into his mechanical arm and Julia's holographic image appeared above it. The doctor began directing the viewer on the proper technique for blood transfusion.

Glancing up, Yale saw Devon and John staring at the transparent figure. Both were clearly distressed by the visualization. The elderly man immediately shut the program down. "I am sorry, It never occurred to me..."

Her eyes filling, Devon waved his apology away, not trusting her voice.

Yale crossed the tent to comfort her. "Julia has been dictating step by step procedures for the medical emergencies not covered in my library function. Not long ago, we talked about the possibility of what happened today. Julia realized how tenuous life is on this planet. She wanted us to be prepared, to be able to carry on without her if need be."

"I didn't know." Devon looked sadly left out.

"I doubt she told anyone. I was only informed because she needed to know the information contained in my files so they would not be unnecessarily duplicated.

"I keep second guessing myself, wondering what more I missed. Maybe something that would have prevented this from happening."

Danziger stood listening. Her last remark made him angry and he was too tired for that much emotion. "How do you think I feel? Don't you think everyone out there will look at me from now on and wonder why I survived and Julia didn't?"

"John, no one is blaming you."

"How do you know?"

"I know from what you've told me. What more could you have possibly done?"

"Drown" The big mechanic slipped outside and found True waiting patiently.

She hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry about Julia but I'm glad you didn't die."

"That makes two of us, baby." Danziger closed his eyes, finding a great deal of peace and comfort in his daughter's embrace.

xxx

By the time the Grendler found the humans, it was well past dark. He squatted, observing these strange creatures of the day who huddled around a circle of light for warmth and protection. The old beast wailed a warning and watched as the group scattered in panic. Only one man came forward to lift a burning torch and calm the others. The Grendler knew this tall figure would be the one he would deal with just by the way he took charge.

The beast waited for the man to come closer before he snorted, giving away his position. Better to be submissive than shot. The flickering light brushed back the darkness, finally settling on the dusty creature who blinked against the glare that hurt his eyes. The old Grendler swung his full sack into view and waited for an invitation to show his goods.

"Bit late to be out trading isn't it?" The man looked about warily as he spoke, evaluating the situation.

The creature looked at him with expectation, shaking his bag impatiently.

"All right then. Come into the light. Let's see what you're so anxious to be rid of that it can't wait till morning."

Slinging the pack over his shoulder, the animal shuffled along close beside the man until they stood beside the fire. It's eyes rolled, taking in the others as they crowded around. The Grendler gripped the bag tighter and grunted.

A small smile crossed the leader's lips. "Everyone, move back. You're making our guest nervous. We'll need to have some room if we're to do this properly."

Both waited until space was given. Standing opposite one another, the man spoke first.

"Now, Grendler, what do you have in that heavy sack that you wish to trade."

To his credit, the old creature knew how to play his cards. He never took his eyes off his customer's face and so caught that critical spark of desire that guaranteed the exchange of what he had dumped at his feet. The human might feign disinterest but the Grendler knew better. He had seen the man's true feelings before the mask slipped into place.

The woman lay on her side facing the fire. The dancing flames beside her captured the golden highlights of her hair, the pale porcelain skin.

She was dazed. The Gendler's potent mixture had taken away the pain but it also robbed her of memory. She existed without history, folded, cramped, unable to move or speak, in a hellish world of heat and dust that seemed suspended in time.

During their journey, hours had passed. The bone healer vaccine had gone to work, hardening the break in her leg already twisted into an unnatural shape. The limb was now deformed and totally crippled.

Upon impact with the hard ground, the pain returned with a vengeance awakening dulled nerves and sleeping muscles. The woman whimpered and twisted at the human male's feet.

The Grendler felt the change. The air became thick with tension.

Another voice spoke out, the tone full of venom. "We don't need another mouth to feed, Ethan."

The anger that momentarily flared in Ethan's eyes didn't reflect in his tone. He ignored the female voice and spoke only to the Grendler. "Your goods are damaged. I'd be a fool to trade for something that might not survive the night."

The beast grunted in disgust and rummaged in his sack. He pulled out a container, shoving it into the man's hands.

"What's this?"

'Stupid human', the Grendler thought, 'I have to show him everything.' Reaching over, he took the case back and opened it. Dipping fingers into the gooey mixture he demonstrated how to use it.

The man frowned as the beast shoved its thick fingers down the woman's throat. She retched and gagged as he dosed her, then grew still..

Ethan bent over and studied the girl's face, noting the pulse beat in the hollow at the base of her throat. He touched it, felt it hammering beneath his finger tips like some trapped animal. It triggered an emotional response in his own body.

"So you're offering the girl and the medication to cure her?"

This isn't what the Grendler intended but he'd consider it. The beast understood the question to mean that the man was ready to deal so he moved off and began searching for something of equal value.

Ethan followed. "Where are you going? What do you want?"

A female rushed through the crowd and grabbed her leader's arm. "Ethan, are you blind? Can't you see she's crippled. She can't even carry her own weight so what use is she?."

He shook the woman off. "When I want your opinion, Sully, I'll ask for it."

"Well, don't expect me to take care of her."

"Why should I do that, you can barely manage to take care of yourself."

A few amused glances were exchanged among those who followed the trio.

The Grendler stopped in front of a bedroll and indicated the carved bow beside it. Sully smirked as Ethan recoiled.

"No. Absolutely not."

The Grendler was disappointed but not surprised

"Here, how about this."

A wooden drinking mug was shoved into the creature's hand.

The beast shook his head. It was enough for the woman but not the medicine. His eyes settled on the woman who was so outspoken. Around her throat, she wore a necklace. A leather string held an intricately carved figurine. The Grendler cooed in admiration. Ethan and Sully followed his gaze.

"Oh no. It's mine. He can't have it."

Ethan's hand was quicker. Before Sully could protect her treasure, he ripped it off and handed it to the old trader.

"You bastard!" She hammered the man with her fists but he flicked her off, signaling some of the men to get rid of her. "I'll get even with you for this." Her threats faded as she was pulled away.

"It seems we have a deal."

Leaving the animal slobbering over his new toy, Ethan went back to the woman he now owned. One of his men was pawing at her already. He struggled to control a murderous impulse.

A hardened face looked into his own. "She's not one of us, Ethan."

"What are you talking about?" he snapped.

Pushing the woman's hair to the side, the other man exposed an area of skin beneath her left ear which was smooth and unblemished.

Unconsciously, Ethan reached for the same area of his own neck and felt the thick, scarring of seared flesh. Criminals of the worst sort, they all had been sentenced, banished, and branded with the planet's symbol -- E2. Not this woman. That alone was worth the trade. He needed to know who and where she came from.

The mark was more then scarred flesh, it also scarred his soul with hate. Ethan remembered the day he had been sentenced. His crime was one of passion, a storm of rage so fierce it only ended when there was no one left to kill. The bodies had been mutilated past recognition. The atrocity had stunned even the most hardened judges for he was so young, barely into his teens. Nothing he said in his defense had mattered. After a brief internment, he was hustled into a room. He remembered as if it were yesterday, the screams and stench of burning flesh from those who had gone before. The guards had chosen to brand with a hearted iron rather than the more humane laser method. Perhaps they thought they were extracting some form of justice for the victims of the lawbreakers. The guilty would disappear so who was there to know or complain?.

He shivered remembering. It took four of them to hold him down, and they prolonged the ceremony, letting him focus on the approaching guard holding the glowing metal. He felt the heat from a distance and promised himself he wouldn't scream and give his tormentors satisfaction but he had...

"Ethan...?"

Pulling his mind back to the present, he answered. "Don't tell anyone else of this. Leave it to me. I'll find out who she is and what she's doing here."

"But what if she's from the Council. If they've sent more troops, they could be looking for her. What if they follow the Grendler here?"

"You worry too much, Barkley. If it turns out she's one of them, I'll chop her into to little pieces and feed her to you. That way, no one will be able to find a trace."

Ethan laughed as the fellow's eyes grew larger. They had all been subject to his rages. No one knew what to expect for he seemed at times to cross over the line of sanity.

Then there were the times when those too sick or injured to help themselves would suddenly disappear during the middle of the night. The next day Ethan would add something new to the group's supplies. It was no secret he traded with the cave Grendlers but whatever became of the missing people, no one knew. They were never seen again.

Because he kept them so off balance, they feared him. All except Sully who lacked sense. She loved the thrill of living on the edge and was the only one crazy enough to willingly take Ethan as her lover.

The convict leader bent and lifted the woman, giving final instructions to his man. "See that I'm not disturbed." Then he carried her into the darkness, away from the camp so no one would hear or see what he did.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Devon looked up in expectation as Yale entered the medical tent.

The old man answered her unasked question. "Everyone is settled down for the night. How about you, Devon? You must be exhausted. Why not lie down? I can take your place by Alonzo."

"No, I'm fine. I'll wait until he wakes up." Devon wanted to be sure the pilot suffered no relapse. She felt she owed Julia that much.

"Alonzo's blood levels are almost normal. We just have to be sure he drinks plenty of fluid once he awakens. He will be all right."

Physically, yes, Devon thought, but how would he react to Julia's death when it finally sinks in? Devon was finding it difficult to believe the woman was really gone. The ramifications of the doctor's loss were staggering. How would they handle a serious medical problem? What if Uly fell sick again? Devon shook her head. No sense worrying about "what ifs' There was enough to occupy her mind for the present. They would spend another day here to allow John and Alonzo time to recover. In her mind, she began to plan some type of memorial service for the doctor.

Alonzo's restlessness brought Devon to his side. She was about to cover him with the blankets he tossed off when the pilot suddenly sat up in bed.

"Alonzo, are you all right.?"

The pilot looked at her blankly. She tried getting him to lie down but he resisted. He mumbled something about trying to clear his head. She offered him water.

"Yale said you'll be fine but you need to replace fluids."

The pilot pushed it away and began looking for his shoes.

"Alonzo, what are you doing?"

"I have to leave."

"Leave? Leave and go where? It's the middle of the night. Everyone's asleep. We're staying for another day so you and John can rest."

He took her by the shoulders. "Devon, Julia's alive. I have to find her."

"No! Listen to me, Alonzo. Julia's dead. She died in the whirlpool. Don't you remember what John said. There was no way out ?"

"It's not true. Danziger thought it was, I believed it too because I had a dream but the dream was only a part of what happened."

He started for the entrance.

"You can't leave, we have to talk about this." Devon pulled at his arm. "Alonzo, for God's sake you were in shock. You passed out right after we got back to camp and have been unconscious."

"Julia's not dead."

"Alonzo, I can't believe she's gone either." Devon tried to reason with the pilot." It's called denial. It's part of the grieving process." Devon flicked her gear on when the pilot didn't listen. "Yale, I need you right away in the medical tent."

"Don't try to stop me, Devon."

She looked at him imploringly so he tried to explain. "Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. I don't understand it myself. I never asked the Terrians to get into my head the way they do. I never wanted to have the dreams but I do. Even though I don't always understand what they are telling me I have to trust them."

"Okay, okay, let's say I agree with you about that part.. I still think we should be logical about this and wait until morning when we can see what's out there. I'm sure everyone will be glad to help with the search. Alonzo, it's not only crazy to go off on your own, it's dangerous."

I'm sorry, but I've already wasted too much time." The pilot ran toward the vehicles after helping himself to a weapon.

Devon ran after him and was relieved to see Danziger waiting by the DuneRail. "John, stop him."

Baines came running in from guard duty. "Hey, what's going on? What's all the yelling about?"

Alonzo confronted them. "Stay away from me. I'm warning you. I'm taking the Rail."

Danziger jumped into the drivers seat. "Not without me, pal."

The pilot hesitated.

"Just show me the way." Danziger could tell Alonzo wasn't sure if he could trust him. "I overheard part of your conversation. You're not the only one having nightmares, 'Lonz. I was in a bad way back in that cave. Maybe I was wrong in thinking that Julia didn't have a chance. I've been questioning myself ever since. If you think you can find another answer, I'm more then happy to be wrong. I just want to know for sure one way or another even if it means going back into that hellhole." Danziger seemed sincere.

"We don't. The area we're looking for is wooded. No caves."

Alonzo looked for something to show him the direction. They had come from the east. The caves were to the west. "I'm not sure. It's either North or South."

"We haven't scouted those directions. You don't even know if it's passable." Devon reminded them.

"It must be." Baines chimed in. "Walman and I saw a Grendler coming from the South late yesterday. He was headed North carrying a heavy load so it must be okay some of the way in both directions."

Devon shot the guard a dirty look.

Alonzo jumped in the passenger side and gave the direction. "North."

As they sped off, Alonzo prayed he wasn't too late but his gut feeling told him in some way he already was.

xxx

Ethan walked deep into the woods until he found an area that bordered on darkness and the light from two full moons. He dropped to his knees laying the girl in front of him. Bathed in the moons' radiance, he found himself thinking how beautiful she was. He thought how he'd regret having to kill her if it became necessary.

The convict wrapped his fingers around her neck, so soft and vunerable beneath his strong hands. Tightening his grip, he watched her struggle for breath. Feeling the wild beat of her pulse, his blood raced with hers. Leaving up, his hands worked around her neck, feeling for any marking that would spare her life. There was none. Searching her clothing, worn and torn into nothing more than rags, he looked for a tag or some print mark which might give him some clue to their origin.

The only thing of interest was part of a man's shirt which had been used to wrap a wound on her leg. Holding it under the light, Ethan studied the remains wondering about its owner. The size and cut indicated it belonged to a male. Had the man been with her when she was injured? Had he gone for help and returned to find her gone? The Grendler wouldn't think to cover his tracks thereby leading any would be rescuers directly to their campsite.

He took one of the girl's feet in his hands. There was nothing to suggest that she had gone barefoot for any period of time. No doubt the Grendler stripped her of anything of value. He'd have to check the animal's bag before it left camp. He was about to do just that when the girl spoke. It wasn't much but it was the first indication of some coherency of her part. He leaned closer.

Exposed to the cool night air, she shivered. The Grendler had given her only a small dose of the drug, enough to last a few hours at most, all that would be required to complete his trade. Sensation was beginning to return.

"What did you say?"

"Cold."

"Tell me your name."

The question brought no response. Wrapping her arms around herself for warmth seemed to be all she could handle for it was done in a slow, jerking movement.

Before she could find comfort, he peeled her arms back, pinning them to her side. "Who are you? Tell me why you are here. Do you work for the government? Tell me, how many are with you? Where we can find your people? We can reunite you with them. You'd like that wouldn't you?"

The words were only an annoying buzz in a brain dulled by drugs, shock and cold. She began to retreat into the fog of oblivion.

"Oh no you don't."

Warmth descended; the crush of lean, hard muscle, stretched over her length, pinning and engulfing her body beneath it. The scratch of stubble against the side of her cheek triggered a flicker of memory. A name slipped from her lips.

"Alonzo?"

Ethan froze. Had she given him her name? No, it sounded more like a question? Alonzo could be a first or last name. Was this Alonzo the owner of the shirt? What was their relationship? Was he her man? Her leader?

'Maybe she thinks I'm her lover!' The thought amused and excited him. Enjoying the charade, he kissed her hungrily.

She felt his teeth hard against her mouth and knew something was wrong. Reality, the sound, the smell, the brutal feel of this piece didn't fit into memory's puzzle.

She tried to pull away. "NO!"

His mouth sought hers, whispering harshly in her ear.

"No, not Alonzo, someone much better."

xxx

Sully glared at Ethan as he carried the woman away. He had humiliated, rejected and robbed her of her most prized possession. Making her pay for that tramp only added insult to injury. She'd get even with him.

"He thinks he's so are you looking at?" The few people who had overheard her prior comment and wondered who she was talking to, quickly looked away. Her devious mind began hatching a plan. "We'll see if you think she was worth it, Mr. See-I'm-Not-Disturbed.'"

xxx

Danziger drove as fast as possible without throwing caution to the wind. After all, if they wrecked the vehicle, no one would go anywhere in a hurry. He tried to get the pilot to open up but Alonzo just sat there, staring ahead, seeing something in the darkness no one else could see.

John noticed the other man was pale and sweating. "Hey 'Lonz, are you okay? You don't look too good, man."

"Just shut up and drive, okay?"

Danziger held his tongue. No sense making matters worse. The mood the pilot was in, Danz might find himself at the wrong end of a MagPro, with a long walk home.

xxx

If Barkley was surprised to see Ethan emerge from the woods without the girl, he didn't show it. Don't know, don't want to know about that woman, he thought. Except for one thing, she was going to cause trouble for them all. That much was clear from the moment Ethan laid eyes on her.

"Is that Grendler still around?"

"Nope. I saw him heading out about a half hour ago."

"Damn. Which way?"

He pointed the direction and received a nod before the younger man walked off. A few moments later, the sound of a heated argument reached Barkley and he recognized the angry voices as those of Sully and Ethan.

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I wasn't here the whole time. You want to know what I think? I think, while you were busy playing with your new toy, that Grendler saw an opportunity to take what he really wanted. You know something else, I'm glad, because now you know what it feels like to lose something that's important to you."

Before the guard had time to speculate on the cause of the disagreement, Ethan came running toward him. He took Barkley's weapon and a torch from the fire, shouting instructions over his shoulder as he ran off. It seemed that he was in a big hurry to catch up with the Grendler all of a sudden. Not long after, Barkley spotted Sully sneaking into the woods.

Ethan followed the Grendler's tracks heading down the hill, away from the camp. At one point, he stopped to examine a pile of loose dung, shoving his finger in to test for heat, he knew the beast was close. The hunter in him was instantly alert, dousing the flame, setting the arrow while his eyes scanned the surroundings. Dawn was breaking to the east, aiding his search. Finally, Ethan saw the creature below him and smiled. The dumb beast had no idea he was being tracked. Raising the bow, he took aim and fired. The animal cried out and fell heavily to the ground.

The convict raced in for the kill. On hearing his approach, the Grendler rolled as far as the arrow would allow him to face his attacker. The wounded animal recognized the man he had traded with and patted his chest and held his hand out indicating they knew each other. In some primitive sign language, he questioned why Ethan shot him.

The man dumped the contents of the Grendler's bag on the ground. "This is why, you filthy thief." Ethan held up his cross-bow.

The creature's hand jerked back and forth indicating their trade.

"Don't play stupid with me. You know what I traded for the woman."

Ethan rummaged through the Grendler's possessions. He should just kill the beast but for some reason he needed to prove the animal's guilt first. He pulled out the cup and searched for the charm but the only necklace he found was a silver chain which held a holo-photo ID. He held it up to the light. The picture was a cleaned up version of the woman he'd traded for, Dr. Julia Heller of the Eden Project.

The animal's moaning snapped back his attention. He pocketed the chain and flipped through the rest. The girl's boot, a blanket, some pieces of what might pass for Grendler food but no charm.

"Here is the mug. Where is the charm I gave you that made up the rest of the trade?"

The Grendler motioned his hands back and forth trying to indicate he had traded it but the human seemed to be dim witted. The beast used a gesture he had seen other human males using to indicate a female. The man's face showed a growing awareness but his expression frightened the beast. He was sure the man would kill him now and he cringed.

"So you traded with a woman. The one I took it from?" Ethan imitated ripping the necklace from Sully's neck again

The Grendler shook its head indicating that was correct.

"Well, friend, it seems Sully's made a victim of you and a fool of me. Count yourself lucky. A tough hide and a borrowed bow may have saved your life but she will surely forfeit her's."

Ethan jumped to his feet and ran off leaving the critically injured beast to fend for itself.

Someone called a name over and over. The voice was a lifeline thrown to someone like she was, lost and alone in the darkness. She could utter no sound, see no light, only hold on to the sound of his voice word repeating the name.

"Julia. Julia."

Her name! That realization surfaced along with an awareness that she lay face down in the dirt, her arms and legs tied tightly behind her. How long she'd lain there, she had no idea but the rawhide restraints which bound her had cut off any feeling in her limbs. Any attempt to move or relieve the strain called up an army of painful demons.

Julia's tattered clothing did little to protect her from the cool night air. Chilled to the bone, she shook uncontrollably, her teeth chattering against the foul-tasting rag that had been stuffed into her mouth.

The sound of movement in the brush grabbed her attention. Something moved in a slow deliberate manner and it was headed her way.

xxx

"There." Alonzo stood up in the moving Rail and pointed at the sky.

Danziger felt his blood run cold at the sight of some many dark shapes circling on the horizon. "Bats?"

"Vultures. They look smaller because of the distance. Step on it. We have to hurry!"

Danziger gunned the accelerator, the vehicle responded and raced across the plane.

xxx

Sully picked her way carefully through the darkest area of the forest. She knew Ethan would not leave the woman in plain sight. Her search would have to be methodical, involving time and a certain amount of luck if she was to find the girl before her lover returned to camp.

A light would have made everything much easier but she couldn't take the chance of anyone seeing her. The woman's death had to look natural. Every so often she stopped and listened but there was only the sound of the wind and a few night birds. She resumed her quest wondering why she felt so threatened by this woman.

There had been others. Ethan had been through most of the woman in camp but Sully knew none came close to matching her. Besides, she was as cunning and ruthless as he was which was why he always came back. They were a perfect match. Today, that had all changed. Something told her this woman was different. She had to remove the source of temptation, to protect Ethan from himself and claim back what was rightfully hers.

Something caught Sully's sharp eye. A patch of pale skin reflecting the rising moonlight gave away the hiding place among the darker shadows of brush. She crawled into the bushes and found what she was looking for.

"Isn't this nice. Ethan's left you all wrapped up just like a present. One, he no doubt, intends to open later." Sully rolled the girl over onto her back and found the woman awake and watching her, the pale blue eyes wide with fear. In the dim light, Sully noticed the torn clothing. Fresh anger surfaced. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't touch you ever again."

Sully took off her hide jacket and folded it into a tight ball. Straddling the woman, she pressed the thick skin against the woman's nose and mouth with all her strength. The girl's body bucked beneath her, struggling for breath. Sully laughed enjoying the ride, enjoying it to death.

xxx

Alonzo and Danziger found the ground beginning to slope upward into a thicker wooded terrain. They'd have to leave the Rail soon. The birds were directly above them now. The creatures' habit of being the first to arrive when something was dead or dying had reminded Yale of his file on Earth's vultures and so his name for them stuck.

Danziger gritted his teeth as the wheel hit a rut, jarring them both. The mechanic stopped to check for damage. "I don't think the vehicle can go much further."

Alonzo stood up and scanned the area. "We have to be close. You take that way." The pilot jumped down and took off in the other direction.

Danziger shouted after him. "I don't think we should split up!" Shaking his head, he followed his friend.

Alonzo ran toward the higher ground hoping for a better view of the area. Only when he stopped, did Danziger catch up. "I thought I told you to check the other direction."

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't respond well to orders. Besides, you're the one who's supposed to know where he's going."

"Quiet!"

Danziger was about to say he'd had enough when he heard something too. "Careful, it might be a trap."

Alonzo paid no attention and took off in the direction of the sound. Danziger swore and raised the MagPro.

The Grendler wailed as he caught sight of the two men.

Alonzo dropped to his knees beside the creature. "No wonder he's afraid of us. Look at this."

Danziger looked at the protruding arrow and immediately dropped down into a defensive position and began searching the area above them for the shooter. "Great. I'll bet there's more where that came from too."

The pilot looked at the Grendler's spilled possessions. "It looks like he was robbed."

"Now that would be different."

The big blond glanced over to see the pilot pick up something from the pile. He held it out to Danziger who took it and had a sudden flashback. He had held the mate to this boot beside the underground river. The leather of this one was still damp.

He looked into the pilot's tortured eyes and hated to play the devil's advocate. "It doesn't necessarily mean she's alive. He may have just found it somewhere."

"No. He knows where Julia is. Don't you?"

Danziger didn't think the animal could be of any help to them but he felt pity for it so he didn't object when Alonzo offered it a drink from their canteen. The Grendler drank greedily. Alonzo reached for the blanket and covered the beast who rolled it eyes toward the sky.

The Grendler seemed to know these men where different and trying to ease it last moments. Too bad he hadn't traded with them instead. Weakly, his massive fingers searched a secret pouch wanting to repay their kindness. He pressed some metal into the hand of the one who offered the water. He saw the man's expression change to one that looked more like pain then gratitude.

Danziger was saying, "I'll call Yale, maybe he can tell us what to do." when he caught the pilot's expression. "What?"

Alonzo opened his hand slowly, in the center of his palm lay Julia's silver rings.

xxx

Ethan had told Barkley to keep an eye on Sully so the man did as he was instructed and followed her. He knew what she was looking for and he prayed she wouldn't find it. As usual, his prayers went unanswered. He kept his distance and almost lost her when she stopped and crawled into the bushes. It was the soft laughter that gave her away. It took him longer to realize what was going on then to react.

He dove in without thinking, pulling Sully away from the other woman. "Jesus, what have you done? If you've killed her, Ethan will have our heads."

"You fool. Why did you stop me? He doesn't have to know. He left her tied up, face down in the dirt. She could have suffocated naturally"

Barkley crawled over to the woman's still figure and pressed his ear against her chest, listening for a heart beat.

"She's bad news, a useless chain around our necks."

"Shhh. I can't hear if she's alive or not." He knew Sully was right; it would be better if the girl was dead. She didn't have to worry, he wouldn't tell Ethan what she'd done.

Sully didn't want an accomplice. Barley sealed his fate the moment he butted in. She couldn't take a chance that one day he might talk so while he checked on the woman she found something hard enough to bash his brains in.

The man was a fool to turn his back to her. Sully found it an easy killing except now she and the girl were both soaked with the idiot's blood. She sat back figuring a new course of action. It called for a change in plans but nothing she couldn't handle. First she needed to get rid of the bodies, somewhere they would never be found. The perfect place popped into her mind and it wasn't too far away. She might have enough time to dump them and clean herself up before anyone realized she was gone.

xxx

The Grendler groaned, wondering if he had made a mistake by giving the metal rings to only one of the men. The other was shoving the boot in his face. Didn't they know they could take anything they wanted? He was in no shape to stop them.

"I don't think we're getting through to him, 'Lonz. He keeps fading in and out."

"We have to. It's the only way we're going to find out where Julia is."

The mechanic watched as his friend tried to communicate again and grew frustrated. He began looking around the area. "Anything strike you as funny about this whole scene?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well for one thing if this was a robbery why did the thief leave this stuff. Granted there's nothing very valuable but the Grendler did have the rings. Any good thief would have checked his pockets.

Alonzo sighed as the animal drifted off again. Rising, he followed the other man's gaze. "Maybe the shooter got what he wanted."

"Could be. I figured if the Grender didn't move much after he was hit, the shot might have come from somewhere up there. We might find tracks but that doesn't mean they'll lead us to Julia."

"Anything is better then nothing."

"There isn't anything more we can do for the Grendler until Yale gets here."

"I covered him with the blanket. That should keep the birds off him. Let's go take a look."

Together they climbed the hillside looking for clues.

"Alonzo, check this out."

To the pilot, what Danziger pointed out, looked like scratches in the soil. "Maybe an animal made them."

"Yea, a two legged animal trying to cover his tracks." Danziger bent closer to the ground following the markings. He held up a piece off a tree limb. "This is a small part of what he was using to wipe away any sign he was here."

They searched for another 15 minutes before Danziger stood up. "Nothing. We'll have to go back. I must have missed something."

"No, we're going the right way. Up there. It looks right."

Danziger looked at his friend strangely. "I guess you wouldn't want to tell me how you know that."

"I don't know. I just do."

"Go ahead then, it beats anything I've got."

xxx

The sun was up over the horizon and Sully was sweating. She hadn't expected it would take this long. She was exhausted from pulling the man's dead weight. When she finally reached her destination, she rolled the corpse down the embankment, waiting only long enough to see the body hit the soft shifting mass below. For a second the body seemed to float, then one side dipped and slowly began to sink from sight. Wiping the perspiration from her face, she headed back for the woman.

Julia found the only way to lessen the acute ordeal of living was by retreating into a coma-like state. Vaguely aware of the sounds of the outside world, there was little sense of time and place. However, the peace didn't last. This dim, quiet world, was shattered by a well placed kick in the ribs. Julia rolled onto her side gasping with pain. Rough hands cut the cords that bound her, freeing her hands and feet to the fresh agony of restored blood flow.

"I'm not dragging you, too. You'll walk."

Sully pulled the woman up into a sitting position then, draping Julia's arm around her shoulder, she put her arm around the woman's waist and lifted her to her feet. Julia's legs collapsed under her and she would have fallen except for the other woman's strength in bracing her.

Sully dragged the doctor forward on her knees. "Get up, bitch."

Julia tried to do as she was told but her legs were almost useless, one weak, the other flopping painfully under her.

"He'll be back soon. If he catches us, he'll kill us both."

There was a vague memory of a man with questions. He was brutal in his search for answers. Fear made her concentrate, leaning against the other woman to support her crippled leg, she managed to stumble along. The journey was arduous and there were times when one or both of them fell along the way. They were exhausted and breathing heavily by the time they reached the bog.

In what seemed like just another break, Sully dropped Julia to the ground at the lip of an embankment. The doctor was still dazed from the drug-induced stupor but she was growing uneasy about the woman who was helping her to escape. Her mind kept blocking her efforts to remember. As the doctor rose to her hands and knees, the convict suddenly planted her foot against Julia's side and pushed her down the steep incline.

Julia tumbled out of control, visions of light, greenery and dust flashed before her eyes as she reached desperately for something to hang on to. Her hand caught something at the last moment, halting the slide but not before her lower body hit the pool of quicksand. She sank to her waist in the seemingly bottomless pit. With the consistency of wet cement, the quagmire offered no chance of escape. Any movement just created more suction which in turn pulled her in deeper.

"Help me!"

"I'll help you all right."

Sully was furious the woman had managed to foul up her efforts again. She picked up a heavy stick to break the woman's hold and began working her way down the hill to get close braced herself and swung but she still wasn't close enough. She only managed a glancing blow.

Julia suffered the sting, her hand slipped a bit causing her to sink to mid-chest. The suction grew stronger. Tendons and veins in her arm bulged with the strain of holding her weight. She looked up to see Sully moving closer. The woman's eyes burned with a murderous rage.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Danziger and Alonzo were uncertain about how to proceed. The tracks led them to the outskirts of a camp. They could see a group of people, penal colonists from the looks of them. Isolated piles of rags indicated most still slept. A few men were up and wandering about. The man they followed had decided not to enter the camp. His trail had suddenly veered off into the woods.

Alonzo pushed for this route while Danziger wanted to check the camp out first. They decided to split up to cover both options, keeping in contact with gear.

Within minutes, Alonzo was on to more then a few scuffed marks in the dirt. The sight, the sounds, the smell of the area drove him like a hound to the scent. Ahead, death waited patiently.

xxx

Julia waited for the blow that never came. She opened her eyes to see Sully sitting on the ground, a look of bewilderment on her face, an arrow protruding from her chest. The circle of blood around the shaft grew wider, and dribbled out the corner of her mouth..

The sight terrified Julia who was already trembling with fatigue and fear. He had found them. Would he shoot her next? She cried softly knowing she could be seconds away from dying. Not only was she an easy target, but her grip on the branch was slipping. Before the marsh could swallow her, an arrow pierced her back.

Ethan waited, ready to shoot again, but the girl didn't move. He raced forward, making his way down to Sully. He bent close and told her,

"Be glad you can only die once. This was for trying to make a fool out of me."

Sully coughed blood in an effort to speak. "Bastard..you are."

He kicked her off to the side and she rolled down the hill past Julia to land head first in the muck. The quicksand sucked her greedily into its depth leaving just her legs to shake spasmodically on the surface for a few seconds before they too disappeared in a loud gulp.

With Sully out of the way, Ethan laid his bow aside to concentrate on removing Julia. It was no easy job to pull her free. The suction was strong and her body was coated and slippery with slime. Only when she was safely landed, did he break off the end of the arrow which held her.

There was no metal point, only a sharply shaved wooden tip which had buried itself deep in the ground. Ethan lifted her through the broken shaft. The wound bled freely but the puncture wound was small. The arrow had pierced the soft tissue just under the clavicle, doing little damage but guaranteeing a maximum hold. He was amazed, the chances of a shot like this were a million to one shot, hell maybe more, and no one was here to appreciate it.

The convict slung the woman over his left shoulder, placed the bow across the other and picked his way up the hill. He hadn't gone three paces from the top when a voice as cold and hard as the steel placed against the back of his head stopped him.

"Don't move."

Ethan froze.

"Julia?"

There was an intake of breath, a click of metal and the hum of a weapon right beside his ear. The penal colonist began sweating. The next words were more a statement then a question and the tone was that of barely controlled rage.

"You shot her, just like the Grendler."

He had to risk a reply, "I did it to save her life."

The gun barrel jabbed him in the head but Ethan went on. "I'm telling you the truth. Look below you. There's a pit of quicksand. She was almost up to her neck. I knew I couldn't reach her in time so the best I could do was try to pin her with an arrow. You can see that by looking at her, she's covered with the muck."

"And the Grendler? Were you saving his life too?"

"The Grendler was a thief that got what he deserved. He stole my bow on top of what I traded for the girl."

"Save it. I'm taking you back with me. I'll let the others decide what to do to you. If it was up to me, I'd blow a hole in your back, just like you did to them."

Alonzo angrily activated his gear. "Danziger, come in. I found Julia. She hurt but alive. Do you read?"

Ethan heard the crackle of static and another male voice. The odds against him suddenly went up. He'd better take this guy out before the other one showed up. Somehow, he 'd have to get the gun from this would-be-rescuer.

"I got our shooter too. I'm taking them back to Rail. Meet me there. Do you copy?"

There was a scratchy "Affirmative" and something that sounded like "careful."

Ethan was poked and directed . "Before we go anywhere. Hold your right arm out."

Alonzo removed the bow and tossed it away. "Keep your arm up where I can see it and don't give me an excuse to pull this trigger."

"You'd shoot an unarmed man?"

"You'd better believe it."

But Ethan knew better. He waited until they were close to breaking free of the woods to act. "I need to stop for a moment."

"Keep moving."

"Okay, but if I fall over and hurt the girl, don't blame me."

Alonzo didn't trust him. "Put her down, slow and gentle, then back away."

The convict did as he was told, using her body to mask the handful of dirt he scooped up in the process.

Ethan almost smiled at the other man's concern for the girl. A weakness the convict could use to his advantage. He decided now was as good a time as any.

As Alonzo bent to tend to Julia, the convicted watched. "What happened to her leg? Did you have anything to do with this too?"

"It was already that way when the Grendler dumped her at my feet last night. He had her all drugged up. I guess he figured she'd be easier to carry and wouldn't make a fuss about being stuffed in that bag of his."

Alonzo shot him a dirty look. Was he trying to blame her condition on the Grendler?

Ethan noted the younger man's heightened color and smiled inwardly. "You know, I almost passed on the trade thinking she wouldn't make it but even under all the dirt I could see a young desirable woman. Even if she only lasted a few hours, it was only going to cost me a few worthless trinkets, you know what I mean?"

The fire in the other man's eyes gave him the answer.

Smirking deliberately , the convict went on to deliver the coup de grace. "I took her into the woods, where we'd have some privacy." Ethan winked at Alonzo. "She was spaced out on the Grendler's drug and thinks I'm someone named Alfonso -- or was it Alonzo? Not that it matters. Hell, in the dark, we're all the same anyway." Ethan laughed, "Yes sir, that was the best trade I ever made."

Alonzo exploded with rage and came charging at him. Despite his casual manner, Ethan was ready. He tossed the dirt into the pilot's eyes just before he made contact. Alonzo faltered, suddenly blinded. The convict seized the opportunity and delivered a stunning blow to the other man's groin.

The pilot fell to the ground rolling into a self-protective ball, his body racked with spasms of crippling pain. Ethan kicked him without mercy, concentrating on exposed areas of the back, ribs and arms that Alonzo used to shield his head. The pilot had no chance to fight back, he could only endure the incessant beating.

Finally, Ethan stopped to catch his breath and retrieve the MagPro.

Leaning over the fallen pilot, he grabbed a hand full of black hair and yanked his head back. His face, splattered with dirt and blood, was beginning to swell from the beating. Alonzo's dark eyes rolled back.

"I knew you wouldn't shoot me in cold blood. I can tell a killer by the eyes. You don't have what it takes. Now get on your communication device and bring your friend here. Tell him, I attacked you. During our struggle, I hit my head and was killed. You're hurt and need his help. Don't try to warn him or your girlfriend will have a nice hole where her face use to be. If you have any doubt about what I'm saying, look into my eyes."

"Why should I? You'll kill us anyway."

"True but if you do as I say, I'll spare your girlfriend. I'll leave her go when I tire of her. Of course, you may think that's a fate worse then death but I'll bet she'd rather live if given the choice. If you don't take my offer, I'll kill you both here and now, then go after your friend. I will take my people and hunt him down. You're both as good as dead anyway you look at it."

The convict stood up and placed the barrel of the MagPro on the center of Julia's face. "So what will it be?"

Alonzo needed to buy time. "I'll do what you want."

"Smart boy. I knew she must have seen something in you, Alfonso."

Alonzo didn't have to pretend he was hurt when he contacted Danziger. He found it hard to look the mechanic in the eye as he lured his friend into an ambush. The pilot only hoped Danziger would smell the trap before it was too late. Ethan pulled the gear away from him before he could say too much.

"That's enough. I take it he's close. How long before he gets here?"

"A few minutes."

"Before he does, answer me this, I found her tag." He held up Julia's Holo-ID for Alonzo to see. "Is Dr Heller from the Council? Is she here to test us? Find out for the government how we're adapting to this hell hole?"

"We're not from the government."

"If you're not with the government, what are you doing here? All penal colonists are branded with a destination. If you're one of us, show me your mark. Dr. Heller has none, I checked -- thoroughly."

Alonzo's sudden move was met with the business end of the MagPro.

"Haven't learned your lesson yet have you? You're an easy mark. Do you know that? I know all the right buttons to push to get you riled."

Alonzo glared at him.

"Before your pal gets here, I better set the stage a bit."

Ethan kept the gun trained on Alonzo and bent over Julia. He reached inside her shirt and smiled as he saw the pilot stiffen with outrage. He stuck his finger in the girl's shoulder wound. The hole, which was caked with clotted blood, reopened. Ethan painted his face with the fresh supply. "I'm suppose to be dead so I better look it."

"Bastard! Fight me fair and I'll guarantee it."

"Too late for that, pretty boy. Just remember, no tricks. I'll have the gun on your girlfriend the whole time." Ethan laid on the ground, the gun masked by his body's bulk, the barrel pointed toward Julia.

While they waited for Danziger, Alonzo took off his shirt, ripping the sleeve and applying it as a bandage to Julia's shoulder wound. She moaned as he wrapped the rest of it around her.

"Julia?" Alonzo touched her face.

Hauntingly pale, like glazed blue ice, her eyes opened and turned unseeing toward him.

"Julia, it's me, Alonzo You're going to be all right."

She gave no indication that she saw him or heard his reassurance.

'Shock,' he thought. 'She's must be in shock.'

Something cold clutched his heart and began to grow. It was a hated of this man who was attempting to destroy what Alonzo held dearest. How much time was left? Alonzo gathered Julia close to his chest.

Ethan hissed in a whisper, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Both men froze as something rustled in the bush. Alonzo cried out. "Look out! It's a trap."

As he warned Danziger, he rolled backwards taking Julia with him, substituting himself as the target.

Danziger came crashing through the brush as Ethan bolted upright.

"Drop it or I'll kill them both." The convict swung the MagPro toward Alonzo and Julia.

For a moment they stood in silence, weapons trained, sizing each other's will.

"Okay, just don't shoot." John began to raise his hands in submission.

"NO! Shoot him, Danziger! Kill him! What the hell's wrong with you?"

Ethan stared at the mechanic. "Throw it away or watch them die."

Danziger tossed the rifle aside.

"Move away from it." The convict waved the weapon in the direction the mechanic was to follow. He had them within his range of fire.

"You okay, buddy?" Danziger risked a glance at his friends.

"Why didn't you shoot?"

"I couldn't risk it."

Alonzo swore. "Yea, we'll your not risking it just got us all killed."

The convict laughed and said to Danziger, "He's right you know. It's just a matter of who goes first. Since I'm judge, jury and executioner, I think I'll vote for you. I've got something special planned for pretty boy here."

Ethan turned toward Alonzo. "I'm going to take you apart slowly, piece by piece till only your eyes work. Then, just before I kill you, I'm going to show you how I plan to take care of your girlfriend. How do you like that?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Alonzo saw Danziger move. The big mechanic dove for the ground. The convict swung the rifle after him and pressed the trigger. There was an explosion of fire and Alonzo, who threw himself at Ethan, felt the concussion of a blast. The world crashed in on him shutting off the light.

For a time he laid stunned, feeling only the crushing weight of darkness. When it finally lifted, Danziger's face looked down on him.

"Can you walk? We have to get out of here."

Alonzo grunted with the pain of movement. "Julia? Where's Julia?"

"She was knocked free when this joker fell on you. Yale's checking her."

Danziger moved aside and Alonzo saw the black man just beyond him bending over the doctor's prone form. The convict's crumpled body lay next to Alonzo, his features barely recognizable in the ruined mass of charred and bloody flesh.

"What happened?"

Danziger helped the pilot to his feet. "Yale arrived too late to help the Grendler. He picked up our conversation on gear and decided to follow us. I ran into him just before I came across you. We decided to split up and come from opposite directions just to be on the safe side. Once I saw it was a trap, I played along to give Yale time to set up and pick his shot."

Yale added. "My shot must have hit the MagPro as he tried to fire on you. It caused an explosion putting you in more danger then I had intended. Fortunately, none of you seem to have been injured by the blast."

"So right now, we're down to the Commander's rifle and a MagPro against a camp load of goons who had to have heard the sound of the blast. It's time we got out of here. Yale, will you give Alonzo a hand? I'll take Julia."

"I can manage on my own. What about him?" Alonzo indicated the penal colonist. "You're going to leave him to go free after what he's done?"

"Alonzo, we'll be lucky to get back to the Rail before that mob comes after us. What are we suppose to do with him?

"He was ready to kill us."

"I don't think we have to worry about him anymore. It's his pals I'm concerned with now."

"Give me the gun. If you won't take care of him, I will."

Danziger suddenly caught the murderous look in Alonzo eyes. "What's got into you man? We may need every bit of our ammunition to get out of here. I'm not wasting it on someone already half dead."

Yale broke in. "Alonzo, Julia needs immediate medical attention. Every minute we delay prevents that from happening." Yale knew how to reach the pilot.

Alonzo blinked, and while his featurex and tone remained hard as stone, the edge was gone. "If he ever comes near Julia again, I'll kill him."

"I doubt he'll be causing any trouble for a long time. Let's go."

They started off. Danziger carried Julia. Yale took the MagPro and held on to the rifle until they were far away from the convict before giving it to Alonzo. The pilot kept glancing back. He was the first to see the convict stagger to his feet and stumble away.

Enraged, Alonzo turned to go back only to have Yale grabbed his arm. The sound of an approaching force reached them.

"There's no time."

They turned and quickly began their descent to the vehicles. A lethal shower of arrows fell around the Eden crew. A few well placed shots sent the ragged mob ducking for cover. They continued to back up Danziger until he placed Julia safely in the back of the Rail. He yelled for the rest of them to hurry. Alonzo and Yale fired at the crowd as they backed up. Just as they reached the vehicles, Alonzo ran out of ammunition. Yale stepped in front of him and was cut down by an arrow.

Screaming for Danizger to help, the pilot flew to the tutor's side. He took up the powerful weapon and swung it in the direction of the shooter. High above him, a dark figure wavered in the MagPro's sight. It couldn't be! He blinked and the figure vanished but he fired anyway, sending volley after volley into the spot.

"Okay, I got Yale. Let's get out of here. ALONZO!!"

The gun jamming was the only thing that moved the pilot. He cocked the weapon repeatedly. Frustrated, he finally threw it in the ATV and jumped into the driver's seat. Spinning wheels, Danziger took off in the Rail with Alonzo following close behind in the smaller ATV.

It seemed to take forever to get back to camp and Danziger's brow was creased with worry as he kept glancing over at Yale's ashen face.

The tutor gritted his teeth every time they hit a bump. The arrow remained imbedded in his thigh and the circle of crimson was spreading. Danziger fumbled with his gear and called ahead alerting camp that they were headed back. Devon's voice greeted him on audio. He couldn't risk taking his eyes off the terrain for a video link. Besides, he didn't want to see her face when he reported that Yale had an arrow imbedded in his leg and Julia was in worse shape.

"I have injured. Yale's been shot in the leg. You're not going to believe this but we found Julia. She's hurt too but I'm not sure how bad."

"We'll be ready for you." Devon tried to maintain a brave front but he could hear a slight tremor in her voice.

"Move out now! We'll catch up. There's a horde of angry penal colonists behind us and I don't want to give them time to catch up."

"But..."

Danziger pulled the gear off and handed it to Yale. "Here talk to your boss. Tell her to head south."

John heard the elderly man tell Devon he was fine. John glanced over, raising an eyebrow at the lie. He noticed Yale didn't bother to open the visual. He was able to deceive her about his condition by telling her he was busy with Julia and would see her soon. He managed to get her promise that the main group would head south as soon as they were able before signing off.

The TransRover was a slow moving mining vehicle. Its speed wasn't much faster than a walking pace so eventually the rescue team caught up with them. Julia and Yale were transferred over to a small area in the back of the craft, where a makeshift infirmary had been set up. Flaps were pulled down and piles of equipment shielded them from view.

Devon instructed Alonzo to turn the ATV over to Walman who now took a rear guard position. Danziger insisted he was fine and would scout the front in the DuneRail.

Adair turned her attention to Alonzo's battered face. "We need to get you taken care of, too."

"I'm all right, Devon, I just need to know that Julia and Yale will be, too."

She nodded her agreement and they climbed up into the Rover, ducking through the canvas that afforded some relief from the dust and sun. Bess had managed to extract the arrow from Yale's leg with the help of a painblock. Small beads of sweat glistened on his dark skin.

"Yale?"

"The worst is over, Devon. I will be fine."

"He just needs plenty of rest." Bess added.

"I'm glad you're okay, Yale. I think you took an arrow meant for me." Alonzo spoke over Devon's shoulder but the tutor could see the young man's eyes were on the cordoned off area beside them. "How is Julia?"

Bess seemed uncertain. "She's conscious. She was shot, too?"

"Yea, among other things." Alonzo swallowed remembering. "Her leg..."

"Will have to be broken and properly set." Bess finished.

Alonzo remember his own painful break due to the crash. "Maybe later. She can't go through that right now."

"Alonzo, no one wants to put Julia through anything more but the longer we wait, the harder it will be later."

"Did she tell you that? I mean, she should know best, right?"

Bess didn't answer him.

Devon looked from one to the other. "Bess?"

The young woman sighed. "Devon, Julia isn't responding. She just stares at me like she doesn't know who I am."

"She's just in shock. I mean, look what she's been though." Alonzo countered angrily.

Devon grew unsettled by the look in his eyes. "Okay." Devon held her hand up trying to calm the pilot down. "Bess, Alonzo has a point. Julia has been through a lot. Why don't we wait until later to discuss this. Alonzo, I want you to rest, too. Julia isn't the only one who needs time to recover from this ordeal."

"Devon?."

"Bess, a few hours won't make much difference. We'll talk about this when we stop for the night."

Alonzo stationed himself close to Julia's tent and bushed aside any nursing care. He seemed content to glare at anyone that came close so Devon left him and the TransRover to find Danziger. She had to trot to catch up to the DuneRail. Luckily, True had given up the heat of the open for the shade of the cab in the big vehicle. John glanced up as she jumped in beside him.

"Danziger, what happened out there? Alonzo just went off on Bess about treating Julia. He's acting like a guard dog, not letting anyone near her."

Danziger repeated what he knew, ending with what happened after they separated. "Alonzo found Julia first. This convict must have been there too because he told me he had the guy who shot the Grendler. He was bringing them both to the Rail where I was to meet him. A little while later, he calls on gear and says he needs help. This guy must have turned the tables on him, because it was all a set up. He was luring me into a trap. I'm sure this Ethan threatened Julia or Alonzo would never have gone along with it. Maybe he's just upset about getting his ass kicked. This guy just got the better of him."

"No, it's more than wounded pride."

John glanced over at Devon. She looked straight ahead, lost in thought. Small worry lines creased her otherwise perfect features.

"Yea." He agreed. "You may be right." Off her look, he added. "But I'm as much in the dark as you are. I only know Alonzo was mad enough to kill this guy. Whatever caused that, you'll have to get from him."

Alonzo nodded with exhaustion. The slow rocking motion of the TransRover and the afternoon heat proved to be a formidable combination in robbing the pilot's will to stay awake. One side of the vehicle rose as the tires clawed their way over a half-buried rock. The wheel slipped causing a jarring impact.

Alonzo woke to see Bess poised over Julia with a hypo-spray. "NO!"

Bess screamed as he ripped the sedi-derm from her hand.

Hand on her heart, Bess retorted angerly, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Alonzo?. You scared me half to death."

"What am I doing? What are you doing to Julia?"

"I'm trying to make her as comfortable as possible while I remove this crud she's covered with. I have to move her and given the shape she's in that could be painful."

"Why didn't you ask me? I can do whatever you want done. You don't have to resort to drugs."

"Drugs? It's a simple painblock. What is wrong with you?"

Their shouting drew Morgan's attention and within seconds he was nose to nose with Alonzo as he took his wife's side. Soon push came to shove and Cameron jumped aboard to separate the antagonists.

Devon was alerted by gear of the fracas. Both she and Danziger exchanged glances before he swung the Rail around. Pulling close to the big mining vehicle, he dropped her at the tailgate which she quickly mounted..

"Bess, Alonzo, what is going on here?"

"Devon, you agreed that we would talk about Julia tonight before anything was decided on."

"That's right. Has something changed?"

"I just woke up to find Bess ready to inject Julia with this."

Devon eyes shifted from the hypo-spray gun the pilot was waving in front of her face to Morgan's wife.

"Bess?"

"I already explained to him, Devon. It's a simple painblock. This isn't the smoothest vehicle to ride in. I thought it best to make Julia and Yale as comfortable as possible. "

"What makes you think you know best? You're not a doctor." Alonzo challenged.

Morgan spotted Julia, awake and listening. "Well, why don't we just ask the doctor?"

Their gazes all shifted to where Julia lay huddled in the corner. Her eyes shifted from the small injection devise in Alonzo's hand to the woman who approached her.

Devon knelt down beside her. "Julia, how do you feel? Are you in pain?'

The younger woman's look was disconcerting to the leader of Eden Project. "We could use some advice on the best way to help you."

Julia looked blankly at Devon

"I don't understand. Why won't she answer me?"

Bess, who was more intuitive took another approach, asking gently. "Julia? Do you know where you are?" Bess read the lost expression in the doctor's eyes and continued. "Do you know who I am?"

Julia looked away and closed her eyes, bringing the conversation to an end.

Bess sighed and turned to the others. "I think we should let her rest." Morgan's wife pushed her husband and puzzled crew mates to the back of the TransRover.

Since Morgan was closer to her, he managed to whisper a question. "Bess? This isn't some kind of brain damage, is it?"

"I don't know, Morgan"

"Bess, how can she act like she doesn't know us? She's our doctor, for crying out loud. The only doctor on this God-forsaken planet for the next two years.!"

"Julia's been though a terrible ordeal. She's hurt and needs care," Bess addressed Devon but it was Alonzo's eyes she sought to win her point. "and part of that care involves straightening her leg before the bone hardens. It's not going to be easy. She has to be sedated or at least given a painblock."

"Okay, we'll be stopping for the night soon. Maybe it's best to get it over with so she'll have time to recover before we move on again tomorrow." Devon, having made a decision jumped down off the 'Rover.

She needed to consult with Danziger about the best place to camp in case they were being followed. That would be another battle because the mechanic was all for going on until they were well clear of the area.

Devon, wait!" Alonzo caught up to Devon and grabbed her by the arm.

She was stunned by his roughness.

"You can't let her pump drugs into Julia's system without knowing if it will cause some sort of reaction."

"Excuse me? Reaction to what? Alonzo, what is all this worry about a simple procedure Julia uses all the time?" She studied his face, saw the struggle taking place deep inside. "There's something more isn't there; something you're not telling me?"

"I don't know." He was torn, not wanting to believe what the convict told him. He raked his fingers through his hair.

"Alonzo, whatever it is, you have to trust me. I want to help."

When he didn't answer, she said, "If you're holding back something that puts Julia at risk.."

"I don't want to believe he told me the truth."

"Who?"

"That..convict."

The one you fought with?."

"Yes." He confessed to her.

"What did he tell you?"

Lost in the remembering, he told her, "He told me he bought Julia from the Grendler. That the Grendler had drugged her so that she was helpless." Alonzo's eyes were dark with torment. "He said...he took advantage of that and did things to her."

The meaning of his words hit her. The weight of responsibility for the people she led could be crushing and one more time she felt herself falter. A momentary stumble before her indomitable spirit rose angrily, fighting the rising flood of circumstance with rage and indignation.

Devon found herself challenging Alonzo. "A penal colonist goaded you into dropping your guard. He would have said anything to gain such an advantage." To her own ears, it sounded like nothing more then hopeful conjecture.

"But, she's acting drugged. If he told the truth about that, maybe the other things are true?"

"There are tests that will tell us if there are any drugs in her system. We'll need to know before we administer anything else." Devon forced herself to deal only with facts to quiet the emotional storm that stirred within her. Her voice changed, becoming compassionate. "Alonzo, there may be ways to determine the truth of this man's statements but I'm not sure it's in Julia's best interest that we know everything."

He closed his eyes against the pain of that statement.

Devon laid a comforting hand on his arm. "She's back, safe and among friends whose care and support will help her through whatever needs to be dealt with. We'll be there for you too, Alonzo."

"You don't understand Devon, I let the man who did this to her get away!" His anger turned inward and he wouldn't allow Devon to comfort him. He brushed off any objection and strode away.

As she watched him go, Devon thought that a burden shared didn't always lessen the weight.


	7. Chapter 7

It was almost twilight when Danziger's message came in. He had run an advanced scout into the high ground looking for a campsite. What he found exceeded his expectations. From his viewpoint, he could see the Advance team's vehicles as well as the plain beyond them. No one seemed to be following the group. The wind was growing stronger, not a good night to travel in the dark.

Danziger gave them directions, adding, "Tell Walman, the turnoff will be a tight squeeze for the TransRover and we might loose some paint but the path widens a few hundred feet in. I'll meet you at the entrance."

Devon noticed the wind was picking up as evening came on. A hot wind blew from the south and visions of another sandstorm worried her. She sat on the edge of the seat beside Walman in the TransRover eagerly searching for Danz's landmarks until she spotted the small opening in the cliffs that rose to their left.

"There!"

"No way."

"He said it would be tight."

Walman hesitated, uncertain. "Are you sure this is the spot?"

"It had better be, we're almost out of light."

Just then Danziger appeared out of the brush and waved them on.

The big blond shrugged and swung the vehicle, lining it as close as possible to the opening before plowing forward. They heard the crunch of rock and scrape of limbs across the roof and sides of the mining craft as it pushed it's way through a blinding tangle of vegetation. Finally, they broke free and found themselves in the center of a natural amphitheater, surrounded on all sides by high rocky cliffs.

Walman parked the TransRover next to John's Rail.

"How did you find this place?" was Devon's first question.

"Not as easily as you think. I climbed the outside wall hoping to get a better view of the surrounding area and found this on the other side. There are Grendler tracks all over. I found a well worn path to the opening you came through. If I had found that way first, I could have saved myself some skin."

Devon noted for the first time, the mechanic's scrapes and torn clothing.

"Best of all, there's water."

He lead her to a series of small pools. The water was crystal clear.

"We can restock our supplies, take a bath."

Devon was uneasy. It seemed too good to be true.

"What about Grendlers?"

"I haven't seen any. Just to be safe, we'll post a watch. The view up there covers the valley for miles. We should be able to spot anyone that might be following us."

"We'll have to test the water to be sure it's safe."

"I already did. What's wrong, Devon, I thought you'd be happy. You wanted to stop. This place is a God-send."

"I guess I'm not used to things going right for a change."

"I know. You'll feel better after dinner and a bath."

She did. Later in the evening, after dinner was over, they took turns bathing. Devon took her bath late after everyone was settled for the night. She laid out clean clothing on a rock before stripping off the old dust covered, sweat-stained gear. She slid in and felt the shock of cool water raise goose-bumps over her flesh. Maybe it would have been better to ease herself in, but she still wasn't comfortable with being naked in the open.

Devon tucked her legs under her and the water covered her to the chin. Above her, the sky was ablaze with stars, cosmic dust lit the heavens and the earth below. Caught up in the beauty of the night, she felt herself relaxing. She dipped her head under and stood up pushing back her steaming hair. A sound warned her of someone approaching and was suddenly aware of her vulnerability..

"Who's there?"

"Just me. I came to collect your old clothes. I thought I'd clean them for you while I'm doing some of the others."

"Thank you, Magus. You frightened me for a second."

"Sorry. I guess it is kind of eerie back here all by yourself. I took the communal bath myself, couldn't wait to shake the grime. Do you want me to stay?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"Sure you will. Besides, John is on watch up there. If you shout, I'm sure he'll come running."

Devon looked in the direction Magus pointed to and sure enough she could make out a dark form on the opposite ledge high above her. She was suddenly self -conscious. She thought the guards were all posted forward. Just her luck, he had moved. Had he seen her?

He had. He thought everyone had settled for the night when he took his new position. A sweep of the valley with the infrared jumpers showed nothing but a wind-swept wasteland. He turned the glasses on the cliffs surrounding the camp, sweeping each area as he worked his way down.

He caught motion by the pool and he grew instantly alert but the figure was familiar. Devon leaned against a rock and pulled off her boots and socks. He watched mesmerized as she unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it from her shoulders. He dropped the glasses guiltily. Danziger found himself shaking and in a sweat, afraid to move. What would she think if she spotted him?

Without the glasses, he could still see her. Pale skin, the flow of dark hair, the arching curves that drew his eyes. Only when she slipped into the water, did he exhale the breath that been caught in his throat. The rippling surface shimmered in starlight, the water's transparency dissolved around her.

What the hell was she doing-taking a bath alone, so late at night, where anyone could see?.

Then he remembered. Devon and Bess had taken care of Julia first. After giving her a good soaking bath, they tackled the ordeal with the young woman's leg. There had been much discussion on the best way to break a leg.

In the end, Julia seemed to recover enough to take some interest in her treatment. She guided them in how to break, straighten, and brace her injury. Danziger wasn't needed so he cut out. Bad enough to see Alonzo standing by, looking alone and helplessly on as they worked on the woman he cared for. Knowing Devon, she had put her own needs on hold until everyone and everything else had been taken care of for the night. That would explain her presence.

He forced himself to look away and began searching the camp for the other guards. Walman was stationed by the entrance, Baines on the opposite wall. Only he held a view of the pool. Something moved in the shadows below and he heard Devon's voice questioning. Alert, he was ready to rush to her defense. Magus moved into view and he relaxed. Their conversation drifted up to him. He cringed when he heard his name mentioned and they both looked in his direction.

"I think I've had enough for tonight. Do me a favor and hand me the blanket, Lin. I think I'll dress in my tent." Magus restrained a smile and opened the covering to shield and wrap Devon as she stepped out of the pool.

'Shows over, Danziger.' she thought.

'Shows over.' Danziger thought.

Magus and Devon parted at Devon's tent. Yale was still in the TransRover. Uly and True had talked the adults into allowing them to hang hammocks in the open. Devon dressed in night clothing and lay on her cot. Light from the campfire sent shapes danced on the semi-transparent walls of the tent. Devon found it hard to sleep.

The wind outside their shelter was growing stronger. Every once in a while it would swirl into the camp and rattle the scrub trees and bushes, scattering debris ahead of its path. High on the ledge, Danizger found he was being hit with fine grit as the wind moaned around him. He moved into a more sheltered area and lost his view of the camp.

Walman was getting the worst of the wind as it funneled through the main opening. He threw a blanket over himself and sat huddled in a corner. The warmth caused him to grow drowsy and he nodded off.

Alonzo had set up his blanket on the back of the Rover. He wanted to be near Julia in case she needed anything. He was just nodding off when the Rover shook slightly. He opened his eyes. Had the wind grown strong enough to shake the vehicle or had someone climbed on board? He waited, listening, his eyes glued to the shadowed area where Julia lay sleeping. He felt small vibrations of movement running across the part of his body in touch with the truck bed. A large shadow moved across the curtain separating Julia's sleeping area.

Alonzo rose, on bare feet he silently crept toward the doctor's alcove and hesitated. Julia moaned inside and he flung the curtain aside. A large dark form loomed across from him and without thinking he flung himself at the shape. Hard steel met his head and he heard Julia scream. He lunged at a shadow but met only air as the Rover rocked.

"Somebody help!"

Alonzo's head was on fire. He felt blood dripping into his eyes. A light flashed, blinding him.

Cameron's voice. "Alonzo? What the hell's going on?"

"Did you see him?"

"See who?"

"Someone.. a man... sneaking around. I went after him and he hit me."

He felt Cameron's hand on his head. "You've got a good gash."

"Don't worry about me, go after him."

"Alonzo, I didn't see anyone. Julia? Did you see someone?"

The doctor eyes were huge with fright and she was trembling. . "No...I'm not sure."

Lights and voices crowded around them as everyone in camp came running. Questions and shouts filled the air.

"Uly?!?!?"

"Right here, mom. What's going on?"

"Bess, Morgan, stay with the children."

"Yale?"

"I'm all right, Devon. What's happening?"

"He's getting away." Alonzo stumbled to his feet and felt the ground spin under him.

"Whoa." Cameron caught him as he fell.

"Who's getting away? Alonzo, what did you see?" Danziger's face peered down at him.

"Someone climbed aboard the `Rover. I saw his shadow move into the area where Julia was sleeping. I lunged for him. I guess he hit me with something."

"Baines, Walman, did you guys see anything?"

"No. I was here in seconds and didn't see a thing. Sure it wasn't the wind playing tricks on you?"

"I don't believe this. Why are you wasting time questioning me instead of trying to find him." Alonzo snapped.

"Okay, those with weapons spread out but don't shoot without challenging. We don't need anyone shot by friendly fire. Devon keep everyone close to the `Rover until we sweep the area."

Adair followed Danziger. "Do you think someone followed and found us, got past the guards?"

"It's hard to say. I can't imagine anyone scaling the outside wall in this wind. The only way in that I know of would be past Walman and I had Baines set up the laser grid across the entrance as a precaution. I'm not saying there isn't another way into this place, but who would be crazy enough to take on an armed camp?".

"Someone hit him."

"Or maybe hit his head chasing a shadow. I don't know, I guess we'll have to see if we can find anything that supports what he's saying. In the mean time, someone needs to put a few stitches in his head."

The group waited around the campfire for the searchers to return. The howling winds did little to relieve their nerves. Finally, Danziger returned to inform Devon of their findings. While the other men left to return to their old or newly posted positions, Alonzo joined Danziger and Devon at the campfire.

"We didn't find anything." Danziger held his hand up to stop Alonzo's protest. "I'm not saying you didn't see something, I'm just saying we didn't find anyone or anything missing that suggests someone was here. Now it's dark, so there's not much we can do. I've posted guards and Baines is setting the laser grid around our campsite. The camp will be enclosed. No one is to move outside the perimeter without authorization so no one should be able to get in. I suggested that everyone not on duty get rest so they can relieve the others later. Alonzo, this includes you."

The pilot looked from Danziger to Devon and stalked off. He knew who was out there even if Danziger wouldn't admit it. Let them think he was crazy if it made them feel better. He settled in the shadows outside Julia's sleeping quarters. The convict was determined to have her and would return to try again. Next time Alonzo would be ready.

Devon couldn't sleep. This spot which had seemed to offer so much seemed to be nothing more than a trap now. She worked off her anxiety, moving from area to area checking on the camp, offering refreshments to the guards, making sure the children were secure and safe. She climbed the TransRover to check Yale and almost had a heart attack when Alozno popped from the shadows to confront her.

"I'm sorry Devon. I don't want anymore slip-ups."

She could understand how he felt. "I'm just checking on everyone myself."

Alonzo settled back into his position and Devon went to check Yale and found him sleeping soundly. She caught Alonzo's eye to motion she was going to check Julia. He nodded. Devon slipped inside the drawn sheet feeling suddenly nervous. Had someone slipped past their security and been here?

Devon lit a flashlight. Keeping the beam away from the sleeping woman, she swept the dark corners. Her beam caught a smear on the TransRover's panel directly across from the entrance. Devon touched it -- fresh blood. Had Alonzo collided with the steel beam instead of being hit by someone?.

Julia tossed in her sleep and her blanket slipped to the floor. Devon bent over and retrieved it, covering her. She noticed the dressing on Julia's shoulder wound was stained. Perhaps in the excitement, the wound had opened again. A few flies buzzed about, drawn by the moisture. She'd have to change it before the insects created more problems.

Devon fumbled with the first aid kit and noise woke Julia. She mumbled something to Devon about the storm.

"Yes, it seems to be getting worse. Julia, I hate to disturb you but I have to change your dressing, it's soiled."

"Hmm. John?" the doctor asked sleepily

"Danziger? "

"Is he okay?"

"Yes, he fine. Why?"

"I thought he may have bruised some ribs in the crash."

Devon stopped what she was doing and stared at the young woman.

"How did you ever find us in this storm?"

Julia opened her eyes. She turned toward Devon and flinched. "What happened to me? I don't remember being injured."

"What do you remember?"

"A storm...we were caught in the open..couldn't contact you. We were trying to find shelter. The Rail hit something."

"Julia, that was days ago."

"Days? Have I been unconscious all that time?"

"No. You mean you don't remember what's happened.?

"You mean besides our accident? Is everyone all right here? Alonzo?!"

"Everyone's fine. Alonzo's right outside. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you, it's just..."

"Julia? Did you call me?" Alonzo peered in.

Julia strained her eyes. "Alonzo? What happened to your head? Devon, I thought you said everyone was all right?"

"It's...it's a long story."

"I'm fine, Julia. It's nothing serious." The pilot knelt by the doctor's cot. "Do you remember everything?"

"Why are you both saying everything?"

Alonzo glanced up at Devon.

"What Alonzo means, is do you remember anything after the crash. What happened to you and John afterwards."

The young woman's frowned with concentration. "We were trying to find something for shelter.. a cave. I remember a dark passage...we were lost....I remember being afraid that we'd never find the way out." A flashback -- solid rock inches from her face, the feeling of being buried alive. The young woman shivered. "What happened to me?" She tried to sit up and only managed to cause herself pain. " My leg, is it broken? "

"We set it. The bone healer should kick in soon. I'm afraid you're going to understand what all my yelling was about." Alonzo teased, steering her away from what seemed to be a troubling memory. .

She smiled back at him. "Payback time? Will you be here to massage it for me? "

"Sure. I wouldn't miss it." A big weight lifted from the pilot's heart.

She no longer looked at him with the eyes of a stranger.

Julia glanced at Devon who stood watching all this, the dressing still in her hand. She looked from the bandage to her shoulder and saw a small round hole. "God! How did that happen?"

"We're not sure." Devon lied. She was suddenly all business, slapping the bandage across Julia's shoulder and adding strips of tape to hold it in place.

It drew Julia's attention so that she missed Alonzo's momentary look of surprise.

"It's very late. I think the rest of the questions can wait until morning."

Devon wanted to sidetrack the conversation until she felt more in control of the situation. Just how much should they tell Julia? What would she remember on her own?

"You need to rest Julia, and Alonzo has a watch to keep. I just stopped by to check on you." Devon hastily added another strip of tape." There that should do it. We'll let you get some sleep now."

Julia glanced at the overwrapped bandage and made a mental note that Devon needed more first-aid training. "Thanks. Seriously, Devon, Alonzo shouldn't be on watch with a head injury."

"It's okay, Doc. My watch is just outside your door. I'm not going far."

Devon shot him a look.

"Just yell if you need me, okay?" He winked. Taking Devon's hint, he rose to leave, then, as an afterthought, he leaned over and kissed Julia.

Surprised, she blushed and glanced shyly at Devon. "I guess there's nothing wrong with him after all."

Once outside, the pilot and the leader of the Eden Project confronted each other after making sure they could not be overheard.

"I know, it was wrong to lie," Devon conceded, "but I wasn't expecting this sudden return to normal and after what you told me, I wasn't sure just how much I should tell her. Apparently, she remembers very little of what happened."

"But she might, eventually." Alonzo added then grew quiet, lost in his own train of thought.

"Alonzo you couldn't have done more. I don't want you second guessing yourself."

"You're right. Next time, there'll be no mistakes, I'll do what has to be done."

Devon didn't like the look in his eyes. "Let's hope there will be no next time."

He didn't answer her.

xxx

Dawn turned the sky hot orange as the light filtered through thick suspended clouds of dust and sand. Any thought of leaving ended in the face of 20 foot drifts that had piled across the entrance.

Danziger faced it glumly and declared. "Everyone dig."

Of course since shovels were in short supply, this meant everyone took turns digging. By late afternoon, they had shifted a considerable amount of soil with an equal amount left to go before the TransRover could work its way clear. Seeing everyone was exhausted, Devon called an end to the day. Their remaining energy would have to go into cleaning up, cooking a meal and bedding down for the night. Names were pulled for night watches.

Alonzo traded for a later shift to be with Julia when the bonehealer kicked into high gear. He waited patiently outside, watching the hours slip by until the first spasms had her cry out. He had to admit, she put up a good front, stoically giving him the nod to work her leg while she tried biting back the pain.

When she broke into a sweat and grew pale, he told her, "For God's sake, Julia, yell if it'll make you feel better."

She cried instead and seemed embarrassed by it.

"It's okay to cry. I remember. It hurt like hell." The tears flowed like rain as he felt the tightness loosen and become flexible beneath his strong hands.

"It's better now." She kept brushing the free-flow of tears away like they was nothing more then an errant lock of hair that didn't know its place.

"Stop." He finally captured her hands and held them against his chest. "Stop holding it in. Let it go, Julia."

She sobbed and buried her face in his chest. "I'm sorry, it's not that bad, I don't know what's wrong with me."

"It's okay." He put his arms around her and rocked her gently. "I know, I know."

In time she quieted. "Thank you." She lifted her head and gave him a weak smile, brushing the front of his shirt. "I got you all wet."

"And, I got you all dirty." He smiled back.

Julia's face was streaked with the layer of dust he wore from digging.

"I think we both could use a bath. What do you say?"

"Now, Alonzo?"

"No, let's wait until later when everyone else is done. We'll have the pool to ourselves."

"I don't know. What if someone saw us?"

"Everyone will be in bed or too tired to care." He kissed her, testing her resistance until he felt her relent.

"Okay. " Julia broke away breathless. "Come for me later."

Later, Alonzo caught Danziger setting up the grid for the night. "Do me a favor and hold off on that for about an hour. I'm going to take Julia up to the pool to do a little therapy on her leg."

"Therapy? Is that what they're calling it now? "

Alonzo broke into a grin. "Come on, give me a break."

"How long do you need?"

"I never got a chance to clean up."

"Well, we can't have you start digging tomorrow dirty can we?"

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"Hold up. Don't go getting so involved with Julia's "therapy" that you forget to keep you eyes and ears open while you're up there. We still don't know if we've got an intruder around here."

"No one knows that more then me." He touched his bruised forehead.

"Okay. I'll be within shouting distance if you need me. You've got 55 minutes left."

Fifteen minutes later, Alonzo eased Julia into the lower pool that was reserved for bathing. He glanced around, and began stripping off his clothes to join her.

"Oh, this is nice."

Unlike Alonzo, Julia only removed her clothing after she entered the water. She gave them a quick dipping and scrub then she handed them up to Alonzo to hang somewhere to dry.

"Hand me your stuff and I'll wash it for you."

"Forget that."

He was mindful of time slipping away as he jumped in beside her.

"How does your leg feel?"

"A little stiff yet. Let me hold on to you while I flex it a bit." Julia had more than a woman's appreciation of Alonzo's body. The doctor also admired the perfect male anatomy that put most medical book illustrations to shame. She noticed the numerous bruises and cuts that marred this perfection. "Alonzo?" She touched strange marks, circles and slashes covered by healing scabs.

"Don't worry about those."

She saw he didn't want to talk about it and wondered why. Alonzo supported her while she used the water's resistance to work the injured limb.

"That's good enough. No sense overdoing it."

"No problem, I can always carry you back." He began teasing.

As he moved toward her, she stepped back into deeper water and for a second, slipped beneath the water. A flashback of drowning overwhelmed her senses, throwing her into a panic.

Alonzo caught her as she thrashed about. She caught him in a death grip. He reached down and cupped the back of her thighs, lifting her effortlessly into an embrace. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his body .

"It's okay. I have you." He reassured her.

She clung to him desperately, a rock amid a storm of memory that lashed and threatened to tear her sanity away.

He could see the pulse in her neck beating wildly. He felt her panting, her breast rising and falling against his chest. "Julia?" His voice was husky with passion.

She cried softly against his neck.

"What is it? Tell me."

"I was drowning." Her voice grew distant, remembering..

"No, I had you in a second. You were never in danger."

"Before this. It came back to me, just like it was happening all over again. I was drowning. I felt myself dying." She seemed unaware of him, lost in distant moment of time in which he had no part.

"No, Julia. You're here -- alive. It never happened." He shook her, snapping her back to the present.

"But it was so real."

"The only thing that's real, is you and me, here and now."

"I want to believe that." She hugged him tightly, afraid somehow he'd slip away and the nightmare would return.

"Let me prove it to you."

She looked into eyes that ask her to trust. As she relaxed, he took control. His lips on her lips, moving down her neck. He lifted her and nuzzled her breast while guiding her into position against him. Then he took her, slowly, gently, allowing her to control the pace of their joining until she was ready to give herself up to him. Caught up in the passion of the moment, he failed to notice, she never closed her eyes.

Danziger glanced back toward the pool area, checked his watch. Alonzo had fifteen minutes left. As he turned, a small avalanche of stones cascaded down the hillside. John looked down toward the source of the spill and saw something moving on the ledge below him.

"Who's there?"

xxx

Julia stared at the night sky, aware that pleasure could evaporate as quickly as moisture in the dry desert air. The sensation replacing it, was caused by the countless prickly surfaces and rough edges of sticks, stones and pine needles that pressed into the exposed skin of her back and buttocks. Alonzo seemed oblivious, laying half on his side, his shoulder, arm and head draped across her breast, his leg and hip covering the lower part of her body. Both lovers still remained half in, half out of the water.

"Alonzo?" She tried moving but was pinned solidly under the long, hard length of his body. Parts of her not warmed by him felt the first chill of exposure as the cool water sucked heat from her body.

Julia reached up and touched his head. The water had molded his hair into jet-black spikes.

"I'm cold. Are you asleep?"

He stretched lazily, tilting his face to nuzzle her neck. He hadn't shaved and the rough stubble of a day brushed against her skin sparking a violent reaction.

"NO! GET OFF ME!" She attacked him, raking his face with her nails.

"Ouch! Stop that." The pilot grabbed her hands, wondering what had gotten into her.

She wrestled with him until he pinned her with his body, locking her wrists above her head with his hands. She strained under him, her body arching like a tightly drawn bow. He felt her chest heaving against his, heard the drawing of each ragged breath that fueled her resistance. And above all this, he heard something more, clear and close. The hair on his body stood rigid with fear, a primeval response to the soft rustle behind him. It had the sound of wind passing invisibly, shaking the leaves of bushes or trees but there was no wind. No foliage of any kind.

Julia had drawn him from the shadows, like a moth to a flame. Alonzo had counted on some risk but hadn't anticipated anything like this happening. His plans were in a tailspin as he fought to control the woman beneath him.

"Julia...stop! I have to get the gun." Alonzo's whisper was both harsh and demanding, his grip, a vice, tightening painfully cruel as he tried desperately to sort the noises around them. His weapon lay concealed under his clothing, just out of reach. Covering her mouth, he cut off a sob and heard the crack of twigs close by.

His eyes darted, seeking a direction, but nothing moved. Silence. The night held its breath, waiting.

Julia's movement had frozen with the sound. Alonzo glanced down into eyes which looked beyond him. He saw the pale blue irises being swallowed by widely dilating pupils and in their black depths, he saw the reflection.

xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Danziger had attached a Lumalight to his MagPro. As he scanned the cliff face with the light, the muzzle of the weapon followed faithfully. He lit the ridge above him and noticed a small ledge. He traced its course and found it ran in the direction of the pools. `Where the hell was Alonzo and Julia? It was time they should be heading back.'

A bird, startled from its nest by the light, burst into flight, scaring the hell out of the mechanic as he worked his way down to the floor of the valley. Danziger felt the heart- pounding effects of an adrenaline rush. He cursed.

In the direction of the pools, the sudden explosion of activity. The pounding of movement grew louder. His heart began matching the rhythm of each crashing sound. Something or someone coming straight toward him. Dousing the light, Danziger crouched. His mind painted an alarming picture of standing in the path of a runaway station transport.

In the dimness of available light, the figure appeared grotesque. Huge in size and width, it resembled and moved like nothing human. Danizger was aware of labored breathing and a small whimpering cry as it passed inches away. Gathering his nerve, he rose. Finger on the trigger, he aimed the MagPro at the shadow and heard the reassuring hum of the armed weapon.

"Freeze." The word came out more like a croak and Danziger prayed the sound still carried the meaning of his threat.

Apparently, his command was understood, but he was stunned to see the shape break in two distinct outlines as it attempted to halt. One rolled forward, coming to rest in a ball-like form. The other spun and hurtled itself at him. The unfolding apparition caught him by surprise, knocking him off balance as he fired. The weapon's discharge lit the darkness, flying above its mark.

Danziger folded under the impact but managed to haul his attacker with him. Together they crashed and rolled over whatever lay in their path, each engaged in a life and death struggle for dominance. Danizger kicked his opponent away and groped desperately for the weapon. His fingertips brushed hard steel. Judging the distance, he dove sideways and caught it with his right hand. He continued to roll, giving himself enough distance to set up a defense.

The sound of heavy breathing alerted him to a fresh attack but, unsure of the direction, he hit the light seeking the target of his fire. Insanity stood in his beam, dirty, naked, the eyes of a killer burned with a consuming rage.

Danziger's mind registered something familiar and held his trigger finger. "Alonzo?" Danziger wondered if his eyes were deceiving him with the sudden transformation. The mechanic began to shake with the growing realization that he had almost killed a friend. "Jesus!! Are you out of your mind?"

There was still a hint of madness in the pilot's eyes as they swept his surroundings. A whispered hiss broke through cracked lips. "Where is he?"

Danziger swung, looking behind -- to the right and left while still keeping one eye on Alonzo. "Who? I don't see anyone."

The pilot became aggravated, looking around himself. "Julia? Where's Julia?"

"She was with you? Where are your clothes?" Danziger questions were drown by nearby shouts.

What seemed like an eternity had only been minutes. His weapon's fire had alerted camp.

Alonzo paid no attention to Danziger's questions. Crouching, he frantically searched the shadows. "I had her. I was carrying her away from him."

Danziger was extremely uneasy with the pilot's erratic behavior but the agony and worry in his voice were clear. Julia must have been the second figure he saw tumbling forward earlier. Taking advantage of Alonzo's distraction, he moved cautiously in that direction.

His light caught her paleness. Eyes opened wide, she lay transfixed, wrapped in a fetal position.

"Julia?" Danziger felt the doctor tremble beneath his touch.

Alonzo appeared at his side and Julia's reaction was immediate.

Appealing to Danizger, she cringed from Alonzo. "No! Keep him away from me."

John turned a bewildered look on his friend and saw Alonzo's stunned expression and noticed for the first time a pattern to the scratch marks on his face. Directing his light on Julia's hand, he saw blood under her fingernails. "Just what the hell happened here, Alonzo?"

Baines, Walman and Mazatl found their three friends by following Danziger's hail. They exchanged curious glances at the sight that met them. Alonzo stood off to one side, filthy, disheveled and stark naked. Danziger looking uncomfortable, kneeling with a MagPro in his right arm and Julia huddled under his left. The mechanic's shirt had hastily been thrown around her.

"Walman, give Solace your shirt so we can go home."

The big blond began to do as he was instructed but the pilot ignored the offer.

"I'm going back."

"Don't be a fool." Danziger turned on the pilot but received a defiant look in exchange.

"I left a pistol under my clothes. I'm going back for it."

"So you didn't go unarmed?"

Alonzo met the other man's eyes and knew what he left unsaid.

"Walman, you and Baines take Julia back to camp. Mazatl, you're coming with me."

"Forget it, I'm going alone. I'm trusting you to make sure nothing happens to her. " It was clear to Alonzo that Julia wanted no part of him so the pilot slipped soundlessly into the shadows.

"Alonzo wait! Shit! Here take her and be careful going back. Alonzo said they were attacked."

Taking Danziger's remark seriously, Walman lifted Julia and he and Baines headed back toward camp, remaining silent and alert for danger.

Danziger took off after Alonzo, his pace hurried but wary. Mazatl soon took the lead and Danziger found himself thankful for the Native American's company. Mazatl had never lost the ability of his ancient ancestors. He had an uncanny instinct for understanding the land and the marks of passage upon it. He moved like the wind. Danziger lost sight of him at times only to have the man appear like a ghost beside him.

"Alonzo goes heedless of the danger and his injuries." The Indian whispered in Danziger's ear, pointing out the dark stains against lighter sand.

"Yea, looks like he's torn his foot open. Maybe it'll slow him down. As for the danger, that might only be in his mind. How about you? Do you sense anything?"

In the dark, Danziger couldn't gauge the other man's reaction but his reply was philosophically candid.

"I sense a power beyond my understanding. When we first came here, the Terrians looked into each of us and found only Alonzo worthy of their trust. I would be a fool to question what is in the mind of such a man."

Sufficiently chastised, Danziger grunted. "Perhaps I'm just the questioning kind."

xxx

Just outside of camp, Julia asked Walman to put her down.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Julia. It's dark. You not going to able to see what your walking on and you don't have anything to protect your feet."

"Please, I don't want everyone staring at me."

Walman considered her attire and figured there would be no way to avoid that. When she insisted, he finally relented and set her down. She walked gingerly beside them but sticks and stones took their toll and made walking difficult. Luckily, they didn't have far to go.

The laser grid appeared as the first line of defense around camp and Cameron was there armed and ready to challenge anyone who attempted to cross it. Both Walman and Baines saw his questioning look but to his credit, he made no comment and promptly alerted Devon on gear that some of team was returning. After shutting down the grid, he waved them through and remained at his post..

Those who remained in camp were anxiously awaiting some word about what had transpired. They grouped about Walman, Baines and Julia but allowed Devon to do the questioning.

"What happened? Where are the others?"

Baines shared a look with Walman before answering. "Alonzo said he and Julia were attacked. He took off right after we found them. I guess he wanted to go after whoever it was. John told us to bring Julia back while he and Mazatl went after Alonzo."

Devon turned to Julia, her eyes taking in the woman's appearance despite the dim light. Wearing nothing but Danziger's shirt which hung to her knees, she appeared extremely frail and vulnerable.

"Julia?"

The doctor knew Devon wanted an answer about what happened but she had no intention of telling her. "Devon, can we talk about this later? I need to get dressed." Julia glanced toward the group of curious on-lookers and tightened her grip on the shirt.

Devon noticed Julia was trembling. She avoided everyone's eyes and appeared to be embarrassed and intimidated by the looks she was receiving.

"Wait for me in my tent. I'll find something for you to wear."

"Thank you." Julia left them all staring after her as she hurried toward the privacy of Devon's tent.

Baines moved closer to his leader and spoke softly so no one else could overhear. "Devon, there's something weird about this whole thing."

"What do you mean?"

"When we found them, you could tell right off both Alonzo and Danziger had been in a battle. John told us Julia and Alonzo had been attacked but didn't say anything about being involved or who he had been fighting with."

Devon listened, her confusion evident.

"There's more."

"Go on."

"This is the crazy part. Julia was terrified, but Danziger was the one she was clinging to. Alonzo just stood off to the side like he was afraid to move. This is just a gut-feeling, but it sure looked to me like Danziger had his gun trained on Alonzo, trying to keep him away from Julia."

"No, that's not possible."

Baines shrugged. "I'm telling you the way I saw it."

"All right. We'll find the truth. I'll talk to Julia and find out exactly what did happen."

"Good luck on that."

As Baines moved off, Devon saw Walman join him and whisper something. They both looked back at Devon before walking off together, she didn't doubt they'd compare impressions and speculate about what might have happened. She broke the others up before she joined Julia in the tent.

The doctor was dressing in the clothing Magus had cleaned and returned earlier. She turned from Devon as she entered.

"It's all right, I'm alone."

Julia proceeded to dress in silence with her back turned toward the other woman, leaving Devon to wonder about the cause of her sudden modesty. She waited patiently as Julia carefully eased herself into a pair of pants. The Grendler's bite stood out in sharp contrast to the multicolored bruises that covered her thighs. It was still a nasty looking wound but appeared to be healing without complications.

"Are you ready to tell me what happened out there?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"I'm sorry but that's not acceptable. I need to know what we are up against and until John and Alonzo return you're my only source. Were you and Alonzo attacked by someone?"

Julia raised a shaking hand to her forehead, her eyes filling with tears.

Devon went to her, her concern obvious. "Julia, this is obviously difficult for you but the safety of the group is at stake. It's important for us to know exactly what happened. Here, sit down. " Devon guided the younger woman to the cot and sat beside her. She laid her hand on Julia's shoulder attempting to comfort her. "Where were you when it happened?"

"The pools. Alonzo suggested we go together. We both needed to clean up. I thought the water might help my leg."

"Go on."

Julia wouldn't look at her, she just shook her head.

"Julia, there's a real possibility that we were followed here by penal colonists. I have to know what you saw."

Julia appeared startled by this information. For the first time, she met Devon's eyes. "No."

"No? Are you sure? Did you get a good look at your attacker? Can you tell me anything about them?"

"Devon, there was no one else."

"I don't understand. Are you telling no one attacked you?"

Julia jumped up, clearly distraught. "Please don't ask me anymore."

Devon was beginning to lose patience. "Julia, why are you being so difficult about this. I'm not blind, something obviously frightened you. Tell me what it was."

"I can't."

"Can't? You mean, you won't. I don't believe this. You'd put your feelings above the safety of everyone else?"

"Don't you understand. We were alone. There is no danger to the group that I know of. No one attacked US."

The emphasis was clear.

"I can't believe what you're insinuating. It's inconceivable."

Julie laughter was mixed with tears at the irony of it all. "Don't you think I know that? "

Devon was speechless.

Julia took her silence as denial. "You don't want to believe me, fine. This conversation is pointless. I suggest you ask Alonzo what happened. Perhaps he'll tell you what you want to hear."

As Julia went to pass her, Devon grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her into a face to face confrontation. "That's not fair." Devon was angry.

Julia's hands shot up and caught the other woman by the wrists. She tried pushing her away. "Take your hands off me." Julia threatened.

Devon got the first clear look at Julia's face. She saw swelling, a hint of bruising across the doctor's mouth. Her eyes dropped to where Julia's hands gripped hers. The underside of both wrists were clearly discolored. External pressure had been great enough to cause blood to leak from the vessels into the surrounding tissue. Devon knew the markings were fresh and hadn't been there earlier. There was also blood under her nails. Evidently, she had fought back, inflicting some damage on her attacker.

Julia saw the direction of the glance. She saw the dawning realization in the other woman's eyes and she dropped her hands to hide the evidence. "I don't want your pity, Devon. I just want to be left alone."

Julia stalked out of the tent and this time Devon made no attempt to stop her.

xxx

Alonzo was limping badly. With each step he took, his foot throbbed in painful protest. The pilot pushed on, focusing on his goal. The gun was the only thing he could count on to make things right. He prayed it would still be where he left it.

He approached the area of the pools cautiously. Everything seemed tranquil and undisturbed. Crouching to make as small a target as possible, he ran commando style, zigzagging an unpredictable course across the few remaining yards of open ground. Any second, the right shot could end his life.

Alonzo dove for the pile of clothing, hitting the ground so hard it knocked the wind out of him. He lay flat, wheezing with the agony of empty lungs while his hand ripped into the pile of clothing. It brushed the hard steel surface of the weapon. Either the convict hadn't stopped for it or missed seeing him slip from under his shirt when he undressed. Maybe he had been too intent on Julia to pay attention.

Alonzo felt the first pangs of guilt. Had he put Julia at risk thinking he could protect her alone? He couldn't be with her every second. Worse, none of the others seemed to believe him, that someone had come after her. It had to end and he was ready to do whatever it took. This guy deserved to die, he'd be doing the world a favor by ridding it of such slime.

Alonzo checked the chamber, cocked the trigger and waited. There was no sound. The night was peaceful. Doubt began to assault him.

He had felt safe turning Julia over to a guard of four heavily armed men but now he began thinking about the deadly silence of an arrow. The shooter could take his friends out, one by one, never giving away his position.

Alonzo was an easy target, he counted on that to draw the convict back to himself. But what if this guy wasn't interested in taking him out? What if he only wanted Julia?

A slow mocking laughter echoed across the cliffs, coming from a hundred different directions. Alonzo swung the gun wildly, trying to pinpoint the source. Frustration and anger grew, grating nerves that were already strained to the breaking point.

"Where are you? " He shouted.

The laughter grew deafening. His head pounding from the vibration, he dropped one hand from the gun to block the sound.

"Go ahead, laugh. If this is such a joke, why are you hiding? Are you scared to come down here? It's easier to take advantage of a helpless woman? Is that it? You want easy? Here, I'll make it easy for you." He threw the gun away and raised both his hands. "See, I'm unarmed. It's just you and me. Come get me!"

The laughter stopped. Silence filled the void. Alonzo waited. The next move would belong to the convict. Off to the right, branches of a tree moved, stirring when there was no wind.

Alonzo swung in anticipation. His mind was suddenly razor sharp, every muscle and nerve tensed and ready. Blood lust filled his soul, burning away all trace of fear and reason. It had all come down to this, time to kill or be killed. He was ready.

Danziger and Mazatl watched the drama play out from the shelter of the trees.

"I don't see anyone. Do you?" John whispered to the Native American.

"That doesn't mean no one is there."

"What's he talking about? I don't hear anyone laughing."

Mazatl put a finger to his lips for silence.

John moved a limb that blocked his view and they both saw the pilot swing toward them.

"Shit. He's spotted us." John yelled out. "Alonzo, it's me, John. Mazatl is here with me. We're coming out."

"No! Go away. I don't want you here."

"Come on man, it's time to go home. You're hurt and confused. Let us help you."

As both men moved from the seclusion of the trees, Alonzo backed away from them. "I don't need your help. Can't you see you're ruining everything. He'll never come now."

"Who? There's no one here but us."

"How can you say that? You heard him. You had to."

"I didn't hear anyone. Mazatl? Do you hear anyone?" Danziger asked the other man.

The other man looked down and shook his head.

"See! Maybe you just heard an animal or something. The night can play tricks on you like that."

The pilot sunk to his knees, shaking his head. Fate had cheated him again. Danziger motioned to his companion and they moved quickly, covering the remaining distance to Alonzo's side. Mazatl eased the pilot back and looked into his eyes. He saw the despair and the emptiness of defeat.

Danziger was uncomfortable with the whole situation. "See if you can wrap his foot up with something. I'll get their stuff."

He moved off and began gathering the clothing. He noticed Julia's things had been washed and hung out neatly to dry. There was no sign they had been forcibly removed. Whatever happened between the two of them had started out innocently enough.

Mazatl eased the pilot to the water and dipped his injured foot to flush the dirt away. Alonzo clenched his jaw hard enough to make his teeth ache.

"I'm sorry to hurt you."

"You don't know the half of it."

Mazatl glanced toward Danziger before saying softly to the pilot. "I want you to know I believe you."

For the first time, a spark of hope flared in the other man's eyes. "You do?"

"There is evil here. I will help you fight it but now is not the time. Trust me, Alonzo."

"All right."

"We'll talk later when no one else can overhear."

Alonzo frowned. A part of him wondered if Mazatl was just humoring him but the Indian seemed sincere. What could he lose?

Danziger dropped down beside the two men. Mazatl was wrapping the pilot's foot in a piece of cloth. He noticed the blood soaking through.

"I'll throw you on my shoulder. I should be able to carry you to camp."

"I'll be all right. I'll lean on Mazatl's shoulder and keep my weight off it."

Danziger was surprised by the about face. He noticed Alonzo wouldn't look at him and figured he didn't know what to expect any more.

"Here's your clothes."

Alonzo pulled on pants and found he could only lace one boot. The other couldn't be opened wide enough to accommodate the make-shift bandage. Mazatl lifted the pilot's arm around his neck and shouldered a good deal of the man's weight. With Danziger protecting their back, they slowly made their way back.

xxx

Devon waited with Cameron as the three beleaguered crewman made their way into camp. She could see right away that Baines had been right about a fight. Both Danziger and Alonzo's faces were marked with fresh cuts and bruises.

"What happened to you?"

"Alonzo stepped on something and cut his foot."

"Mazatl, take Alonzo to my tent. There's a first aid kit there." She fell in beside Danziger as the other two moved off.

"You didn't answer my question. What happened to your face?"

"Alonzo and I kind of collided in the dark"

"Collided? Baines seems to think you might have been fighting with him. Is there a reason behind this conspiracy of silence? I couldn't get a sensible answer from Julia either. She's frightened, John."

"Here's her stuff, by the way." Danziger shoved a rolled up ball of clothing at Devon and caught a questioning look in return. "Look. I don't know any more than you do. Alonzo thinks he saw someone while they were up there at the pools. I gathered he was so intent on getting Julia out of there he just grabbed her and took off. Maybe the way he acted frightened her."

Devon considered Danziger's information. She still needed Alonzo's side of the story.

"Just to be on the safe side, I'm going to double check our security. We can keep an intruder out at ground level but if someone is up there with a weapon," Danziger indicated the cliffs that surrounded them, "we could be sitting ducks."

"All right. I'll be with Alonzo."

"Okay. I'll catch up with you later."

xxx

When Devon entered her tent, she found Alonzo on her cot, his injured foot hanging over the edge. Mazatl had unwrapped the pilot's foot and was checking it. A steady stream of blood trailed across the pilot's sole and dripped loudly into a catch-pan on the floor.

Alonzo saw the alarm on Devon's face. "We just threw the plate under there so we wouldn't get blood all over the floor."

"Mazatl, go find Julia."

"NO!" The pilot protested.

"Alonzo, you need a doctor. Go on, Mazatl."

With a glance at his friend, he left to follow Devon's instruction.

"Now, while we're waiting for Julia, would you like to tell me what happened out there while I clean these scratches on your face."

He tried to turn away from her but not before she saw the distinct line of nail marks.

"Did Julia do this to you?"

"It was an accident."

"It looks deliberate to me."

"Did she say anything to you?"

"She didn't have to, I could see something very wrong happened between the two of you."

The pilot looked away, his jaw clenched.

"Alonzo, I know you. I know you would never do anything to hurt Julia. Could this just be a misunderstanding on her part?"

"I'm responsible for what happened to her. I hurt Danziger, too."

Before he could go on, Julia and Mazatl entered the tent.

From the start, Julia was all business, acknowledging none of them while she scanned the injury. Finally, she turned and began laying out equipment. "I'm going to have to operate."

"Is it as serious as it looks?" Devon asked.

"I have to repair tissue and blood vessel damage. There's a good deal of imbedded foreign matter that will have to be flushed out, also." She picked up a hypo-spray and pressed the injector against the pilot's neck, explaining what she was doing. "I'm giving you a pain-block so you won't feel what I'm doing. Also, a broad based antibiotic to prevent infection. It will make you sleepy. Don't try to fight it, I need you to be as still as possible."

"Julia?" Alonzo reached for her but she managed to avoid him.

Devon noticed the doctor's hand was shaking as she placed the hypo-spray on the table.

"Would you be kind enough to hold this for me?" Julia asked Mazatl.

He nodded and accepted the light and direction from her.

"Devon, I could use your help, too."

"Of course. Tell me what to do."

For the next half hour, Julia worked, repairing the damage while logging the procedure on gear. Alonzo remained still, his arm draped across his eyes as if he was trying to shut out the world. Devon wasn't sure what he was feeling.

Finally, Julia seemed satisfied that she had done all she could and she proceeded to close the wound. "That's it for now. He'll have to stay off it for a few days. Make sure he rests."

"I'll have someone stay with him in case he needs anything."

Julia nodded her agreement. "I just want to check his vitals once more." The doctor pressed a finger of the Dia-glove to the pulse in Alonzo's neck and pressed a button to do a reading.

Devon wasn't sure what happened next. Perhaps it was nothing more than static electricity, but there was a flash the moment she touched him. Alonzo's hand shot up and caught the glove, forcing it away from him. Julia either was knocked off balance or lost her footing in trying to jerk away. She fell sideways, still caught in Alonzo's grip. Julia's arm twisted in an unnatural angle and she cried out in pain.

"Let go of her!" Devon screamed as Alonzo struggled to rise.

He seemed shocked and released the doctor immediately.

"What happened?"

Devon dropped beside Julia who was removing the DiaGlove. The doctor was ashen as she rubbed her arm.

"Are you all right?"

"I think so. I'm not sure what happened."

Devon helped her up.

Alonzo was holding his neck, watching Julia intently. "Julia, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Let me see." She avoided his eyes and pulled his hand away.

The skin was burned where the glove had touched it, already swelling into an angry red welt.

"I don't understand. I don't know how this could have happened."

"Could something have malfunctioned?" Devon suggested.

"I suppose anything is possible." Julia conceded. "How do you feel? Aside from the burn, were you hurt in any other way?'

"I don't think so. It felt like a high voltage shock."

For a brief moment Julia's eyes sought his, worry and uncertainty melting some of the ice. She turned back to her kit and pulled out a jar of cream and applied it gently to the mark on his neck. "This will help to relieve the burning."

"Thanks."

She risked another glance at the handsome pilot before she began to pack up her equipment.

"Leave your glove, Julia. I'll have Danziger check it." Devon suggested.

"Good idea. I'll just get rid of this mess for now."

Julia gathered the pan, Alonzo's boot and the bloody rags and left.

Danziger, who was approaching the tent, saw Julia go directly to the fire. She began feeding her bundle into the flames.

John came up beside her and rescued Alonzo's boot. "Boots are in short supply, Doc. I'm sure I can clean it up."

"I need to clean up myself." She looked at her hands.

"Come on, then."

John led her to the water jug. Pulling the handle down for her to rinse, he watched as Julia began wringing her hands obsessively beneath the stream. It was as if she couldn't get them clean enough.

"You going to have any skin left by the time you're done?"

"What? Oh! I'm finished. Thanks. "

"How's Alonzo?"

"He should be fine in a few days."

"How about you?"

She walked away without answering him.

Sometime later, Devon came across Julia standing at the back of the TransRover. Alone, she stood staring at the truck.

"Is something wrong?"

"I was thinking of laying down for awhile."

"I think that's a good idea. It's very late. I was just about to try and grab a few hours sleep myself."

"It's just that I don't feel comfortable after what happened the other night." The doctor confessed.

Devon glanced up at the Rover. "I'm sure it's safe. The laser grid is fully activated around us. In fact, I just put Uly in with Yale. Since Alonzo has my bed, I was going to take his hammock."

Julia didn't look convinced. Wanting the doctor to rest, Devon made a suggestion. "We could switch if you'd like."

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. In fact, I would prefer to be closer to my son. "

"That makes me feel better. Thank you, Devon."

"No problem. Try to get some rest."

Devon climbed up into the `Rover and made her way to Julia's bed. Yale snored peacefully across the curtain. Devon reassured herself there was nothing to worry about. Exhausted from the events of the day, she fell asleep immediately.


	9. Chapter 9

Devon woke up gasping. Something pressed against her face, cutting off her breath. She was smothering. In desperation, she tried to struggle against the force. Devon's hands flailed about until by chance, one contacted something solid. There was a resounding crash and the pressure eased. She swept the pillow from her face and sat up. Blood pounded in her ears. Her head spun with dizziness as she sucked in life-giving air. She became aware of voices. Yale must have been holding Uly. She heard his frightened questions as Yale called Julia's name. The tutor had no idea Devon had taken her place.

She staggered through the curtain and wrapped her arms around her son. "It's okay, Uly."

"Mom, what's going on?"

"I heard a crash, is Julia all right?" Yale asked.

"She isn't here. We switched sleeping arrangements. I knocked something over."

"Are you all right? Where's the light? "

"That may have been what broke, I'll have to check."

"Here, I have an extra. Be careful, there might be broken glass. Don't cut your feet."

Lights swept the truck, Julia and Danziger appeared at the same time from opposite directions. Devon heard the mechanic's question and the doctor's answer.

"What's going on? I heard a crash and Yale yelling your name."

"I'm not sure. I was sleep. Something woke me. "

"Adair? Yale?"

"It's all right, John. Apparently, Devon knocked over a light." Yale answered.

"Are you all right, Devon?" Julia called up.

"I think so." Devon was torn. Had someone tried to kill her or was it just a nightmare?

The doctor and mechanic exchanged glances. Something was wrong, they could hear it in her voice..

"We're coming up."

Devon heard the sound of their approaching boots on metal. Funny, she hadn't heard the person who attacked her. Telling Uly to stay put, she pushed aside the curtain to join them. Danziger sensed something was very wrong when Devon leaned against him for support. Julia walked past them and shone her light inside her room. Broken glass littered the floor, sparkling under the beam. Against the red metal floor, a darker stain drew Julia's attention. Squatting, she touched the drops. Her fingers came away stained with a red liquid.

"Devon, check your feet. You must have cut yourself."

Leaning against Danziger, Devon did as instructed. "I don't feel anything."

John looked too, sweeping both feet with the light and checking with his hand. "She's fine."

"Well, there's blood on the floor. Someone is hurt."

Devon pulled Danziger to the back of the `Rover away from Uly's earshot. It was real, not a dream.

"John, someone was here. I woke up with a pillow being pressed against my face. I think someone was trying to kill me." Devon was shaking. "If my hand hadn't hit the lamp.."

Julia came up beside them. "Are you serious?"

"I can't imagine how anyone could get past our security. Are you sure it wasn't just a nightmare?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

"Someone did leave blood behind. Are you sure Uly and Yale are all right?"

"Yale had him, neither of them came inside."

"Hey Doc, is there a way for you to check that blood?"

"You mean a DNA match. I think there might be enough in there to test. It would tell us if the intruder is human."

"It will also tell us if it's one of us."

Both women looked at him, surprised..

"Let's keep this quiet until we know more. If anyone asks you Julia, Devon just knocked over a light. Nothing's wrong."

"All right. I'll need the DiaGlove. Did you ever check it? Is it still in Devon's tent?"

"Yes, it seems to be fine. Maybe I should go with you."

"It will only take me a second to get it. I need you to stay here and make sure no one disturbs the sample." Julia rushed off before he could object..

Devon and Danziger stood quietly for a few seconds, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

"Devon, how is it you wound up sleeping in Julia's bed?"

"She was nervous about sleeping there after what happened last night. We switched. I thought it was safe at the time."

"When was this?"

"I'm not sure, maybe an hour ago." She guessed.

"Could anyone have overheard either of you?"

"I don't know. We were just behind the `Rover. I didn't see anyone. What are you thinking?"

"That maybe you weren't the target."

Devon gasped as his words sunk in. "Oh my God, John. We let Julia go off alone. Run! Go! You should be able to catch her."

Danziger was torn. "What about you? I can't just leave you here. Come with me. The hell with protecting the evidence."

"I don't have boots on. I'd only slow you down. Besides, Yale's here, I'm not alone. Please go, if anything happens to her...."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Danziger jumped to the ground and took off.

Devon wrapped her arms around herself, shivering in the warm night air.

xxx

Mazatl watched over Alonzo. While the pilot slept soundly, moaning occasionally in his sleep, his guardian remained vigilant as he tried to understand what was happening.

Mazatl was Ojibwe and, as with most Native Americans, he believed that all life was interconnected. Born and raised on space stations, his family had held on to their ancient beliefs by passing down the stories and legends of the people who once roamed a healthy Earth.

His favorite was told to him by his mother:

`Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans lived in a place named Turtle Island and were watched over by Asibikaashi, the Spider Woman. Asibikaashi brought the giver of life, Giizis, back to the people at the end of each "star time."

Once, during a time of prophecy, the Ojibwe Nations were told to disperse. Great caravans of people traveled in each direction of the wind. To ease Asibikaashi's journey, the women of the tribe would weave magical webs from willow hoops and sinew. Made in the shape of a circle, it depicted Giizis traveling each day across the sky but, more than this, it also represented the circle of life of which all living things had a sacred part.

Just as a circle has no beginning or end, life was a journey of birth, death and renewal. For even as the body turned to dust, the spirit which had once been contained within it, lived and traveled on.'

And so it was, when Mazatl first stepped from the escape pod to the surface of G889, he saw his life as a circle. After a twenty-two year journey across the heavens, he found himself gazing on the ancient land of legends.

That first night, as the rest of his crewmen huddled in the darkness, Mazatl waited with anticipation. Just before dawn, he rose silently and began a search. Within minutes he found what he was looking for, just as it should be.

As the first rays of the sun peeked across the horizon, he beheld the miracle. Asibikaashi had built her special lodge of fine gossamer silk and on each strand of the web, tiny beads of dew which gathered there sparkled in Giizis's captured light.

Later he returned to the campsite but no one noticed the change in him, or how gently he walked on this new Mother Earth.

Mazatl's thoughts were interrupted as Julia entered the tent. He jumped up and stood watching her.

"I just need some of my equipment. " She told him softly. The doctor looked over toward Alonzo. "Has he been asleep the whole time you've been here?"

The man nodded his head to the affirmative. Julia felt uneasy with his silence and the way he studied her. She walked over to the cot and pulled the blanket away from the pilot's legs, to check the dressing. A small amount of blood stained the bandage but it was otherwise clean. She felt some relief.

Mazatl moved closely beside her. When he covered the pilot with the blanket, Julia began to feel annoyed.

"If you don't mind, I need to check my patient."

"That wasn't why you came?"

"How do you know that?"

"I know that something has frightened you. Whatever is wrong concerns Alonzo. Tell me what it is."

Julia was suddenly terrified by this strange man's attitude.

Before she could think what to say, Danziger broke into the tent ending any further discussion. He seemed relieved to see her there. "Just making sure you don't get sidetracked."

"Sorry. I'm coming." Directing one final look at Mazatl, Julia allowed John to hustle her away.

xxx

Back at the `Rover Julia scooped the coagulated liquid into a tube on the glove. She pushed a few buttons and waited for the glove to break down the components. Danziger and Devon sat patiently on the cot watching her. Small black and white lines and dots scrolled into the small computer screen hooked to the glove. Julia studied the readout. Danziger and Devon leaned forward when a puzzled look crossed her face.

"It must be malfunctioning again. This can't be correct."

"Why? What does it say?"

She met their eyes with uncertainty. "Let me run it again, just to be sure."

With little choice, they settled back to wait. The results were the same.

"Come on Julia, does all that Mumbo-Jumbo spell out a name?"

"I'm afraid so."

Julia pushed another button and turned the screen so they could both read the display.

Test result -Confirm match of 99.8% for DNA sample. Subject: SOLACE, ALONZO.

xxx

Mazatl pulled a small pouch from around his neck. Inside was a mixture of dried plant material, Sage, Tobacco, Peyote, and Cedar which his mother have given him before she died. He pulled a long feather from his braid. He needed only one more thing, a natural vessel to hold it. Just a few yards from the tent, he found a flat rock which would suffice.

Kneeling beside the pilot's cot, Mazatl sprinkled the combination in the center of the stone and lit it. A small cloud of pungent smoke rose from the dying flame. Mazatl fanned the smoke with the feather, brushing it toward the earth then to the sky and each direction as ritual decreed. After the offering, the remainder was used to purify, bless and protect his injured friend. He directed the smoke at Alonzo's feet and worked his way up to the pilot's head.

He hoped his mother would understand; the ingredients had been meant to keep him safe from harm . Perhaps enough power remained in the smokey haze that was trapped inside the canvas to do just that.

xxx

The first light of dawn found Devon, Danziger and Julia in a serious discussion.

"This doesn't make sense, why would Alonzo want to harm Julia?" Danziger wondered.

"Maybe he doesn't know what he's doing." Devon suggested.

"How could he not know?"

"Did you, when you were possessed?"

"That was different, we brought that on ourselves by messing with something that should have been left alone."

"Maybe it's some kind of chemical reaction. He was bitten by bats and that strange worm. Who knows, maybe they transmitted something in their saliva. "

After a few minutes of silence, Julia looked up and saw them both looking at her for an answer. She had been lost in her own thoughts remembering how Alonzo had changed into someone she didn't know.

"Any suggestions, Doc?"

"He never told me he had been bitten by anything. I saw and mentioned the marks but I can't remember him answering me about where they came from. "

"Didn't Yale say bats carried disease?"

"On Earth, certain diseases could be transmitted to humans by animal or insects. Bats have been known to carry rabies."

"Wasn't that fatal?"

"It could be if it wasn't treated in time. It's an acute viral disease that affects the central nervous system. In the later stages, convulsions and paralysis occur before death. It's a terrible way to die."

"But there is no evidence that such a thing exists on this planet."

"How do we know for sure?"

"A blood test would tell me if there is anything strange in his system. I need more than this sample though."

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

"I'd need his permission."

Danziger began to say something and thought better of it.

"I know what you're thinking. I did learn my lesson. It does bring up another possibility."

"What's that?"

"I suffered memory blackouts from injecting Uly's DNA into my system. Maybe Alonzo's suffering from some type of chemical reaction. "

"Could you tell that from a blood test?"

"It's a good possibility."

"Then let's do it. Permission be damned. If he isn't in his right mind, he can't be trusted to make the right decision."

Julia looked to Devon, not knowing what to say.

"It's in everyone's best interest but he still should asked first."

"I don't have a problem with that as long as he gives the right answer. Come on we're just wasting time here."

Julia and Devon exchanged glances before following Danziger reluctantly.

xxx

Julia was the first to enter the tent. The smell hit her like a physical force even before she noticed the hazy veil of smoke that swirled as she let in fresh air. Danziger bumped into her as she stopped suddenly.

"What's that odor? Where did this smoke come from?" she demanded.

Mazatl remained silent, knowing none of them would understand.

"Danziger, Devon, open the sides. We need to get this stench out."

"It's not harmful." He finally volunteered.

"I'll be the judge of that."

Julia ran her DiaGlove over the still smoldering mixture while Devon faced the expressionless guard.

"Mazatl, I'm sure you meant well but you should have asked Dr. Heller's permission before you did anything. She's in charge of all medical treatment. It 's her responsibility to care for Alonzo."

"Oh my God!"

All attention shifted to Julia, who was clearly alarmed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm picking up traces of.... Everyone get outside. Now!"

"Why? What is it?" Devon asked realizing she was beginning to feel light headed from inhaling the overpowering scent.

"One of the substances in this mixture is hallucinatory."

Danziger sprung into action. Grabbing the pilot by the arm, he slung him over his shoulder. "The rest of you go, I got Alonzo."

"Wha..what's going on?" Alonzo asked groggily.

"You'll be all right. We just need to get you into some fresh air." Julia reassured him. Once they were all outside, she turned her wrath on Mazatl. "I don't know what you're intentions were but you had no right putting my patient in danger."

"The substance you are worried about is peyote. It comes from the cactus plant. My people have used it for centuries and suffered no harm."

Julia ignored him. Turning to Danziger and Devon, she told them, "This may be the answer we've been looking for."

Danziger turned to Mazatl. "Consider yourself relieved and I don't want to see you anywhere near Alonzo again until I tell you it's okay. You got that?"

The Indian looked at each of them before walking away in silence.

"I don't believe this. I thought he was acting strange when I picked up my DiaGlove."

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Alonzo asked from an awkward position across Danziger's back.

"You'll know when we know, pal. For now, Julia just needs a little of your blood."

xxx

The digging crew was already at work when Mazatl passed them.

As he began to climb the eastern cliff face, Walman yelled out to him. "Hey, aren't you going to give us a hand?"

"Not now. I have something more important to do."

"What's more important than getting out of here?" The big blond asked Magus, puzzled..

"Who knows? Maybe he's taking lessons from Morgan on how to get out of work."

"Speaking of the devil.." Walman directed Magus's attention to Morgan Martin, who was walking toward the group with a clipboard.

"Ready to grab a shovel, Morgan?" Magus asked sweetly, offering him hers.

"No. Ahh..I mean no, you don't understand." Morgan smiled back. "I'm here to monitor the work, you know, to make sure everything is being done as efficiently as possible, no wasted motion, etc. I was a specialist in this field back on The Stations." Looking at his clipboard, he droned on, unaware of his audience's reaction. "Now, I've done some calculations and based on three people working in continuous half hour shifts, moving approximately a half a cubic foot per shovel in 4.5 seconds divided by the estimated gross remaining tonnage, we should have this mound gone by..." He glanced at his watch.

"Hey, Martin!" Raising his shovel, Walman started toward the bureaucrat.

Morgan glanced up, "What!??!" Seeing Walman's face, he began backing up.

"Unless you're here to lend a hand, the only thing I'm going to remove is you."

Morgan looked at Walman and the others as if they were crazy. "Do you realize how long it took me to figure this out? Is this the thanks I get? " As everyone continued to glare at him, Morgan shrugged. "Okay, fine. Do it your way, but don't blame me when the job doesn't get done due to inefficiency"

Walman started after him and Morgan took off. Occasionally he looked back over his shoulder and opened his mouth only to close it without saying anything.

The workers shared a laugh at Morgan's expense and completely forgot about Mazatl.

xxx

"And I'm telling you, I'm not giving up anything until I know why you treated Mazatl like that. He believes me, even if the rest of you think I'm crazy."

"Alonzo, no one is saying you're crazy but you have been exposed to a hallucinatory drug."

"So, am I hallucinating now?"

"No, but perhaps earlier when you thought you were asleep, you weren't. "

"Oh, something like, I sound coherent but I'm not."

Julia threw up her hands.

"Tell him"

"Tell me what?"

When Julia remained silent, John took over. "A few hours ago someone attacked Devon. They may have mistaken her for Julia."

"What? You're okay, right?"

"Yes, whoever it was broke off the attack when I made some noise."

"Then that proves he followed us here and found some way to get past our security."

"Who? That half dead penal colonist? You think this guy somehow managed to catch up with us without a vehicle, then, despite being blown half apart, climbed an almost vertical cliff in a raging sandstorm and still had the strength to take on you that night?" Danziger asked.

Alonzo looked away from them. He had to admit it sounded unbelievable. "I'm telling you I saw him with my own eyes, heard him with my own ears. If you don't believe me, who attacked Devon then?"

Devon, Danziger and Julia exchanged looks with one another.

He waited for one of them to volunteer an answer. Well? "

Devon bit her lip. "Alonzo, we found did find some evidence. There was a blood trail across the flat bed of the 'Rover. Julia did a DNA match hoping to narrow it down to one of us. "

"One of us?"

"The test came up with a positive match to one of the samples Julia has on file."

Alonzo had a sickening feeling. "Who was it?"

Devon looked to Julia.

"Alonzo, I ran the test twice to be sure. At an almost 100% accuracy rate, there can be no doubt about whose blood it was."

"What are you saying?"

"It was yours, Alonzo. There's no doubt in my mind."

"You think that test proves something? It proves nothing." Alonzo was furious. "It's not me. Someone's setting it up to look that way."

"Easy, pal. No one is saying you deliberately tried to harm anyone. Maybe the fumes you inhaled from that wacky weed Mazatl was burning sent you sleep walking, seeing and hearing things that weren't really there."

"No way, I'd know. " Alonzo felt trapped. No one believed him, not even Julia. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Alonzo, no one is going to do anything to you. We want to help you." Devon reassured him.

"How?"

They hadn't planned that far ahead and the pilot could see the uncertainty.

It was Julia who spoke first. "First off, you shouldn't be on your feet until your foot begins to heal."

"So what you're really saying is I'm a prisoner here."

"No, that's not it. We're just trying to look out for you." Danziger frowned. That didn't come out quite right. "Look, Doc says you're suppose to stay off your feet so that's all we're asking. One of us will stay with you in case you need anything. Now you can help Julia out by letting her take a blood sample to see if there's anything in your system messing things up. "

When Julia approached him with the DiaGlove, Alonzo didn't have much choice. "Maybe you'd better figure out what happens next when you don't find anything."

As Devon and Danziger looked on, Julia drew her sample.

When Alonzo suddenly slumped into unconsciousness they both jumped forward only to have Julia tell them calmly, "He's all right. I gave him a mild sedative to put him out for awhile. He won't remember a thing. He'll just think he fell asleep."

John and Devon exchanged looks, they hadn't expected this and something felt wrong about it.

Julia put the hypospray on the table and took off the DiaGlove. Sensing the others unease, she rationalized the necessity of her action. "Do you really have time to baby-sit all day, John?"

Danziger hadn't thought about spending the whole day.

Seeing she had made her point with him, Julia turned to Devon. "And, I don't know about you, Devon, but I feel that if Alonzo really wanted to get past either of us there would be little you or I could do about it."

"So what happens now?"

"I'll do the blood work. There's no need for you to be here. You can do what you need to do. I'll let you know if anything shows up."

"What if he wakes up? I thought you were worried about not being able to stop him if he wanted to leave?" Devon reminded the doctor.

"Oh, I was going to put him in restraints. I'm not sure he won't wake up while I'm preoccupied so its best to be safe."

"Call us as soon as you get the results." Devon instructed. She didn't like this one bit but there wasn't anything they could do about it now.

Julia nodded. "John, one more thing. It would really help if I knew exactly what Mazatl was burning. Could you ask him if he has anymore and just what the use of it is supposed to accomplish?"

"Sure, I'll look him up and get back to you." Outside the tent, the mechanic turned to the leader of Eden Project.

"You look beat, Adair. Why don't you try to get some rest."

"I am tired." She admitted. "How about you? You've been up all night, too."

"I want to be sure we can get out of here first. Right now, I'm going to lend a hand with the digging. Maybe I can grab an hour later if all goes well. "

"Okay. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Get some sleep." He instructed. "I'd feel better if one of us has a clear mind." With that, Danziger headed off to the work detail.

xxx

Mazatl climbed to the top of the cliffs and surveyed the surroundings. Giizis had just begun her journey across the sky so it was easy to pinpoint the spot where she had first peeked over the horizon. After marking the direction, Mazatl set about gathering the materials he would need. He made sure he stayed out of sight of Eden Project. What had to be done, must be done tonight and would take him all day to complete. He sensed that events were escalating. Timing was critical if he was going to prevent a catastrophe.

xxx


	10. Chapter 10

"Anyone seen Mazatl?" Danziger asked.

"I saw him climbing up the cliff earlier but not since. Anything wrong?"

"No." Danziger searched the surrounding heights but could see no sign of the Native American. He wondered why he had gone off when he should have been helping the others. 'Maybe he just needs time to cool off,' Danziger thought, remembering how he jumped all over the guy. Besides, he didn't have the energy to climb a mountain to look for him. Maybe later.

The hours flew by as the work dragged on. Lunch came and went and the sun was close to setting by the time the way had been cleared for the TransRover's passage. This would be their last night here. Everyone focused on taking advantage of the ample water supply. Containers had to be topped off and people and clothing got one last rinse.

Danziger went in search of Devon. He found her feeding the kids and Yale, who was finally up and about. "Good to see you on your feet." Danziger told the tutor.

"It's good to be mobile again. I was beginning to feel useless." The older man smiled back.

"Remember, Julia doesn't want you overdoing it, so no lifting." Devon reminded him.

The mechanic caught Devon's eye and after a few minutes she moved off to join him out of earshot of the others. "Any word from Julia about Alonzo?"

"She says there are traces of a powerful hallucinatory agent but she can't determine the effect on Alonzo without knowing more about the substance. Yale downloaded whatever information he had on the subject but she says she needs to do a more comprehensive study on the molecular level. Did you talk with Mazatl?"

"I haven't seen him all day. You?"

"No. Do you think he's all right? Should we look for him? "

"Let's wait and see if he shows up for dinner. If not, then we'll have to. "

xxx

Alonzo woke up unable to move. When he pushed against the belts that restrained him Julia appeared at his side, hypospray in hand. Eyeing her with suspicion, he asked, "What's going on Julia? Why am I tied down like this?"

"I thought it best."

"Why? Give me one good reason."

"Self-protection."

He was stunned. "You think I'd hurt you?"

"Alonzo, you already have." She said sadly.

"No!"

She showed him the bruises. "Am I making this up? You did this to me."

"Don't you remember what happened. You were the one who attacked me. I was trying to stop you. I thought you were having a seizure or something."

"That a new one."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" He said angrily.

"Forget it." She turned away.

"No, I'm not going to forget it until we get this straightened out. You're accusing me of something I didn't do. You're confused about what really happened."

"SHUT UP!"

He reacted as if she had physically struck him. Julia began trembling, shaken by the force of her outburst. It was the forerunner of something more powerful, a flash of lightening or the ominous rumble of thunder before a storm.

"What's wrong with you?" Alonzo asked.

"I'm tired. I'm frightened. I need to find answers to questions I'm not sure of." Julia was overwhelmed and close to tears.

She looked so lost and vulnerable he didn't have the heart to push the issue and had no idea what to do to make things right between them. He thought about telling her the truth about everything that had happened but he was afraid it might push her over the edge. At this point, there was nothing he could to do but watch and wait.

xxx

Mazatl showed up just as Danziger was about to organize a search party.

Exhausted from lack of sleep and all the physical exertion of digging, the big mechanic was short tempered and in a bad mood. "Where the hell have you been? Did you ever stop to think people might be worried that something might have happened to you?"

"I thought your anger with me would have passed by now. Do you want me to stay away from you for awhile yet?"

"No. I want to know where you were and what you've been up to. Dr. Heller needs to know more about whatever drug you were using. Do you have any left?"

"Yes."

"If you give it to me, I'll be sure she gets it. Also, what was it supposed to do?"

Mazatl offered the pouch. "You can have this but my beliefs are sacred and cannot be discussed openly. I would be glad to talk to Dr. Heller in private if she wished to learn more."

"I don't know about that." Danziger didn't like the idea of Julia alone with this guy.

Mazatl shrugged. "Let me know whenever you decide."

"Hold on. I'll let her make the call." Danziger activated his gear and told Julia Mazatl was with him. "He's turned over the substance but he's hesitant to explain why he used it. Says it's sacred and has some religious meaning. He might talk to you if you agree to keep it confidential."

"All right. Bring him over. We'll talk about it."

Both men appeared a few moments later at the tent.

Julia met them outside. "I understand you're willing to tell me about this." She indicated the pouch Danziger had handed to her.

"If you respect my request. What I tell you must be kept secret."

"I'm not sure if I could agree to that. What if it puts someone in danger?"

"I give you my word. What I will tell you can harm no one but if you think it will I will not hold you to our bargain."

"All right. That's fair enough. Where do you want to go to discuss this?"

He gestured toward the tent. "But, Danziger must move away so he cannot overhear."

"Alonzo's inside... "

"I have no secrets from Alonzo."

Danziger and Julia exchanged looks, surprised by this new bit of information. Then the doctor pulled back the flap to allow Mazatl to pass.

Before she followed him, Danziger took her arm. "I'll only be a short distance away. Yell, if you need me," Danziger told her softly.

With a nod, she ducked inside and found the man standing, looking at Alonzo. She felt and ignored the urge to explain why the pilot was bound. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"What do you wish to know?"

"Why you were burning this substance?"

"Alonzo has great power. I wanted to open my mind to see what he was seeing. I thought of it as way for me to help him."

As the man talked, Julia began an analyze the material. Mazatl saw her frown.

"This appears to be different from what you burned earlier."

"You need this." He held a powder in his hand which he extended to her..

"What is it?"

"Peyote."

As Julia reached to accept it, he jumped her. He pushed the powder into her face, using his hand to cover her nose and mouth, cutting off her chance to scream. His other arm locked her in a tight embrace as she tried to struggle away from him. His hand barely left her room to breath and Julia wound up inhaling some of the powder.

Within seconds, she slumped in his arms.

Alonzo couldn't believe his eyes. Everything had happened so swiftly.

"What did you do to her? Are you crazy?" The pilot began to struggle against his bonds.

"Trust me. I've come to set you free. I knew Dr. Heller would not believe me or come with us willingly so I gave her some sleeping powder. It won't hurt her.."

Alonzo watched as the man bound and gagged the doctor. "Where are we going?"

"To confront and destroy the one who haunts us." Once the doctor was secured, Mazatl released Alonzo. "Can you walk?"

"I'll manage. "

"We must climb the cliffs and be at the top before dawn. The going will be hard for you. I'll help you as much as I can but carrying her will prevent me from aiding you."

"We're taking Julia with us?"

"Both of you must be there for the truth to set you free."

Mazatl lifted Julia across his shoulder. Alonzo pulled on his boots which Danziger had cleaned and returned. He had to remove most of the dressing to get his foot inside. He tested a step and was hit with stabbing pain, like he was walking on a piece of glass. He tried to tried to cover his expression.

"Danziger is outside. We have to go out the back." Mazatl whispered. He took out a knife.

Razor sharp, it made short work of the worn canvas.

Mazatl went first, testing the way and signaling Alonzo to follow. Together they made their way silently from camp without anyone seeing them.

xxx

As Danziger waited, he found himself nodding off from time to time. The toll of the past few days had drained him and he desperately needed sleep. 'What was taking them so long?' He wondered.

The light inside the tent was set low. He could see no movement. Despite his promise, he moved closer and listened for voices. Nothing.

"Hey, in there. How much longer?"

Silence.

Danziger had a bad feeling. "I'm coming in."

No one was there to protest his sudden intrusion.

"Shit!" He took in the signs of struggle and the ripped wall of the tent before pulling his gear from his belt to sound the alarm.

xxx

Alonzo and Mazatl were busy climbing as the word was passed below. Darkness would aid their escape for a while but they would have to hurry. They couldn't afford to be caught in the lights that would soon be sweeping the walls.

Alonzo was in agony. He tried to favor his injury and wound up slipping on the smooth rock face. He hung by his fingertips a hundred feet above the ground until Mazatl, alerted by falling stones, could make his way over to pull him to safety. They both were breathing heavily and covered with sweat as they leaned against a narrow ledge.

"I don't suppose you have any water?" The pilot asked.

The other man looked around. He moved to the left and came back with a piece of cactus. "Open your mouth and hold your head back."

The pilot did as instructed and felt a dribble of liquid. It wasn't water but it did the trick relieving his thirst. He watched while Mazatl drained the rest and marveled at the man's strength. His senior by a good twenty years if you took away cold sleep time, the man climbed effortlessly and carried Julia as if she was no more a burden then a sleeping child.

"It's not much further. Can you go on?"

"Lead the way. I'll try to more careful."

Below them, they could see the sweep of lights and Alonzo felt a pang of guilt for the worry he was causing his crew mates.

xxx

"Tell me again. Exactly what happened?" Devon asked.

"Why? So you can tell me I screwed up. I know that. I never should have trusted Mazatl. How much do you know about this guy anyway?"

"Mazatl? Like everyone picked for the Advance Team, he's multitalented, holding degrees in .."

"I'm not interested in degrees, I want to know what kind of man he is."

"According to his biostats, he's a 43 year old, pure blooded Ojibwe. He's never been married and was living with his mother when we first approached him with a job offer. He turned us down saying his mother was sick and he wouldn't leave her."

Devon paused, recalling the first time she met Mazatl.

"My impression at the time was that he was a quiet man, proud of his heritage, deeply spiritual and very intelligent. He had to be to reach such a level of expertise in so many fields. A few months before we were scheduled to depart, I got a message from him telling me his mother had passed away."

Devon glanced at Danziger.

"Before she died, she urged him to reconsider our offer and he was wondering if the job was still open. I offered my condolences for his mother and told him the offer still stood and we would be happy to have him on board. Everyone was subjected to a through background check before they were even considered for Eden Project so I didn't think twice about hiring him."

"Through background check, huh? If Julia slipped through the cracks maybe this guy did, too. "

Devon was annoyed by that crack and decided to ignore it.

"Look, I'm not blaming you for trusting him. I'm just trying to figure out what they hope to accomplish. They can't go far."

"The grid is activated? "

"Just across the entrance. We were saving power. Full activation happens at dark."

"So they have to be in the enclosure somewhere."

"Walman said he saw Mazatl climbing the eastern cliff earlier."

"But could Alonzo climb with his injury?"

"If he has a death wish."

Devon considered this. "We have to find them. We'll divide into teams and spread in all directions."

"Fine. I'm taking the Eastern side." Danziger told her.

"Wait for me, I'm going with you."

Danziger could tell by the set of her chin it was a waste of time to argue.

xxx

Blood soaked through Alonzo's boot. His legs were shaking and he was light headed. He wondered how much longer could he go on. He leaned against the rough stone surface and tried to control his breathing. The throbbing pulse in his ears seemed to be counting the remaining seconds of his life.

"Alonzo?"

Mazatl was somewhere above him but the pilot of afraid to look up. The slightest move might send him into oblivion. He felt helpless, too tired and weak to save himself.

"Hold on."

'As if there was another choice.' He thought.

He heard Mazatl coming, the sound of cloth brushing against the rough texture of rock then an iron grip caught him by the arm.

"I have you. Shuffle your feet toward me. The ledge widens and will give you more support."

"I don't think I can."

"Do I have to carry you, too?"

Anger gave him a spark of strength and he crabbed sideways, waiting for each step to be his last.

"Keep coming. Don't think."

The ledge did widen, Mazatl hadn't lied. The other man let go of him.

"The top is just above us . Stay were you are, I'll be back for you."

He heard a scrape and risked a glance. Mazatl went up the wall like a fly and disappeared from sight. At least, he and Julia were safe. Within minutes, the Indian was back as promised, this time without Julia to hamper him.

"It's okay. I can do this." Alonzo was determined to make the summit on his own. If he fell, he didn't want to take this man with him.

Mazatl didn't argue but, in the end, the tension proved too great. He grabbed the pilot and pulled him the last foot or so, letting his weight carry them both. They sprawled, backs pressed flat against the summit, totally spent. Alonzo felt the agony of a body pushed past its limit too many times.

Surprisingly, his breathing returned to normal faster then Mazatl's. The pilot rolled on to his elbow and looked over the other man. "Are you okay?"

"I must get getting old."

"Yea, right. What happens now?"

"We go there."

Alonzo's eyes followed the direction Mazatl pointed in. In the distance was a shape but he couldn't make it out clearly.

"What is that?"

"Salvation."

xxx

"No sign of them to the South." Magus reported in.

"Nothing to the West, except a lot of rocks I keep tripping over." Morgan complained.

"Walman, Baines? Anything?" Devon asked.

"Baines here. We thought we saw a set of multiple prints but its hard to tell if they're recent. Besides, with everyone walking all over, how can we tell who they belong to?"

"Tell him to use the Thermal read on the jumpers." Danziger suggested.

Devon relayed the message before cutting her audio. "I feel like we're hunting them like animals."

"We are." Danziger told her. "Let me remind you, Alonzo and Mazatl left of their own free will. I wonder if Julia had that option."

"Any ideas as to why they took her?"

"Alonzo might have been afraid to leave her." Danziger speculated as he played his light over the eastern rock wall.

"Or? You sound like you have another theory."

"Or, maybe he's so sure this guy exists, they'll use her to draw him out. "

Devon shook her head. "I find it hard to believe they would do such a thing."

"Yea, there's a lot of things I find it hard to believe but I'm learning."

xxx

A few hundred feet above Devon and Danziger, Alonzo was suffering a similar crisis of fate as he examined Mazatl's work. "It's huge." He repressed a shudder. "I thought I was done with these things."

"Let us hope in the future, you will be. For now, you need to know it works on something of the same principle but there is a difference."

The pilot forced himself to look away. "I hope so, I almost didn't survive the last time." Alonzo glanced over to Julia.

Mazatl saw the concern in the pilot's eyes. "Time is growing short and there is much to explain. "

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I came here just after first light. It was necessary to find a spot that is fully exposed to Giizis's power."

Alonzo glanced back to Mazatl's creation. The man had fashioned a large hoop from a tree limb. This he placed before a recessed area in the the cliff.. A thick piece of rope held it in place. Inside the circle, completely filling the center, was the web of a spider three times the size of any Alonzo had seen back in the spider caves.

"How did you get it to build its web there?"

Mazatl smiled for the first time. "First, I had to find Spider Woman's secret place. Then, I carried her to the tree and placed her on it so she could inspect my offering. I prayed very hard and Asibikaashi listened. She alone would judge if my plea was a worthy one. When she began to build her lodge, I knew her answer. If she had denied me, there would have been nothing could do. "

"You said this has a name?"

"My people call it Bwaajige Ngwaagan. In your language, it would be known as a 'dream snare' or 'dream catcher.' Bwaajige Ngwaagan catches all bad bawedjigewin and allows only good to enter through the small hole Asibikaashi leaves in the center."

"I'm sorry, Mazatl, but I don't see how this can help. We're not dealing with a dream. Besides, I don't have normal dreams, remember?"

Mazatl finished his explanation, hoping to ease the pilot's doubts. "At dawn, Spider Woman's web will catch the first rays of sunlight. All that has been trapped will perish, vanishing forever. Only then, when the evil is gone, can life begin to heal itself."

Alonzo shook his head but Mazatl continued. "Think about your trip through the space-time fold in the spider caves. How the webs and spiders worked with the force that is created by strong opposition fields. These are mystical principles of the dualistic nature of the universe - attraction and repulsion, positive and negative, matter and anti-matter, good and evil, life and death."

Alonzo interrupted. "I'm not sure I'm following you."

"What I'm saying is this man or his spirit is being drawn here. Dr. Heller isn't the only reason. He is here because you want him to be. There is a saying, 'the devil cannot enter without an invitation.' You want him here so you can destroy him. "

When Alonzo remained silent, Mazatl went on. "The only way to destroy him is to give up that desire, release your anger."

"If it's that easy, why do we need this?" Alonzo indicated the web.

"I didn't say it would be easy. I believe his malevolence is so strong it has already beginning to effect Dr. Heller on a subconscious level. When he does come, he will focus on her first. It will be up to you to draw him into the dream snare."

"How?

"You and Dr. Heller will stand behind the snare. I left enough space for you.."

"You're going to seal us in with the web?" Remembering the pain of a much smaller bite, Alonzo indicated the spider which was the size of a dinner plate. "What if she objects?"

Mazatl came forward and tied a string around Alonzo's neck. In the center was a large feather which hung down on his chest

"The feather of an eagle is worn for courage. It is a man's feather, just as the feather of an owl is a woman's and is worn for wisdom. Asibikaashi will recognize your courage and wisdom and welcome you in her lodge."

Alonzo wondered how a spider could recognize the virtues of such an action when he couldn't. He watched as Mazatl tied an owl feather around Julia's neck.

"Julia's not going to be happy about this. I'm not too thrilled, either."

"You will be restricted from moving. This is necessary so you do not accidentally tear the web. If that happens, the dream snare will not work. "

Mazatl moved the snare, allowing Alonzo access behind it. Mazatl handed over Julia, instructing the pilot to hold her upright, facing the web as he replaced it. Julia's head rolled backward against him and she seemed to be close to coming around. Alonzo watched nervously as the spider began to roam, looking for the source of a new vibration.

Alonzo leaned back against the solid wall of stone, trying to relieve the strain of holding Julia upright. Mazatl secured the web, effectively sealing them behind it. With Julia's weight pressed against him, Alonzo found he could only move his eyes and he watched as the spider climbed through the hole in the center of its home and put a tentative hairy leg out, touching Julia's chest.

'Don't wake up now.' He thought.

Mazatl stood back and watched.

Alonzo began to sweat as the huge spider transferred itself onto Julia's body, one leg at a time. Once there, it explored upward, following a path that would lead it up her neck onto the pilot's face. He didn't dare move, but he was aware of slight movement against him as Julia began to react to the prick of eight hairy legs on the skin of her neck.

The pilot's eyes widened as the arachnid move directly into his line of vision. Its fangs were huge, each as big as an earth cat's fully extended claw. Two large black circled eyes flanked by two smaller ones studied him closely before a segmented leg reached out and touched the feather on his chest. The pilot closed his eyes and prayed to whatever Gods Mazatl believed in.

Satisfied that her world was safe, the spider continued its climb, passing quickly across Alonzo's face until she sat perched atop his head. Finding this a good spot to start from, the spider dropped to his shoulder on a silken thread. A fine trail of line marked her passage as she swung from one to the other, crisscrossing their bodies. A gummy shroud soon encased both Julia and Alonzo.

Unfortunately, Julia woke up as the tarantula was putting the finishing touches on her face. Alonzo felt her go ridged with terror.

"Don't move." He whispered.

Her response was muffled by the gag that filled her mouth but he felt her tense in his arms and begin to hyperventilate. The spider arched as its world began to shake, its palps twitching nervously. The pilot's eyes rolled, searching for Mazatl but he was limited in his view.

"Julia, please, stay still!" Alonzo risked calling out as the doctor continued to ignore him. "Mazatl, where are you? Do something!"

Total silence told him Mazatl was gone.

A cold whisper of wind ruffled the feather on Julia's neck. The outer web bent inward under an unknown pressure. The spider hurried back to the center, sensing something strange in the vibration. Alonzo was instantly alert, his eyes searched the darkness. An unnatural stillness hung in the air. The sound of the night creatures had ceased.

'Had someone from Eden Advance stumbled across them?'

Any hope of rescue was dashed as a vague outline began forming in the shadows. Alonzo blinked and strained his eyes against the silken veil that was distorting his vision. Julia moaned and began to sob as the form broke into two.

xxx

"Do you see anything?"

Danziger didn't answer until he had finished scanning the surrounding cliffs with the jumpers. The glasses were equipped with a thermal detector. So far, the only heat registering was that of a small animal.

"Nothing. Either they didn't come this way or I nodded off longer than I thought and they had time to climb up there." Danziger secured the jumpers and began looking for footholds.

"You're going up?"

"Don't feel like you have to follow me, Adair. This is nothing more than a hunch."

Devon's answer came from close behind as she followed his lead. "More than a hunch, this cliff is higher than the rest. Once we get up there, we can look down on the others."

"You noticed that, huh? " Danziger had to smile.

She didn't miss much.

xxx

Mazatl stationed himself directly in the path of any would-be rescuers. The silence was overwhelming. He took a deep breath, hoping to relieve the tension that held his heart in a vice like grip. He had taken on a huge responsibility and if things went wrong the blame would fall on him. As the minutes passed, and the sky grew lighter, he thought his plan had a chance of succeeding until he heard voices and the scraping of footsteps against rock on the trail he, Alonzo and Julia had ascended earlier. He would have to delay whoever was coming.

Alonzo was weak and tired. The effort of holding Julia caused a throbbing in his temples and a weakness to his legs. He suppressed a powerful impulse to break free of the web and confront whatever was coming their way. Against the horizon's soft glow, he could make out shadows moving toward them. It seemed all natural life had vanished, leaving them alone on a dead world. No night bird sounded, no rustle of insects or wind.

The pilot repeated Mazatl's instructions in his mind, trying to focus on something other than the oncoming threat. He whispered to Julia not to move, to trust him, but wondered about the state of her mind. How could she trust him when they had kidnapped her from camp and thrust her into a cave with a huge spider that seemed to have wrapped them for dinner?

Julia awoke, wondering what was happening. Her vision was cloudy and she couldn't move. She felt a cold upwelling of fear and closed her eyes, trying to quiet racing thoughts. The sudden return of memory was so horrifying and powerful that it threatened to overwhelm. The breath tightened in her lungs and it took all her strength to fight the panic. It was almost as if she was drowning again. She heard Alonzo behind her asking for her trust. Part of her felt a huge relief that he was close, part of her felt an anger and distrust that seemed alien. Where had these feelings come from? She tried to turn but stopped as he warned her not to move.

Mazatl watched Devon and Danziger approach. They were unaware of his presence and he waited until they were on safe ground to announce himself so neither would fall. As expected, his sudden appearance startled them.

Danziger covered his alarm and his voice showed only agitation. "What are you up to? Are Alonzo and Julia with you?"

"They're close."

"Take us to them now."

"I will. In a little while."

Danziger rose to his full height and poked his finger in the Indian's chest. His voice and demeanor that of a threatening volcano. "Right now!"

Devon grew alarmed. If the men came to blows, one or both might fall. She had a brief flashback to her VR fight with Julia. In reality, she would have fallen to her death and had no desire to relive the experience. "Wait, both of you. I'm sure we can work this out. Mazatl, we just want everyone to return to camp. I'm sure you thought you had a good reason for running away but we can work this out without anyone getting hurt."

The dark skinned man looked at her calmly. "We can, but you must have patience. Let me judge when the time is right."

John was not known for his patience. He tried to push past the other man who pushed back.

Devon intervened again. "Stop! Stop both of you. Mazatl, will you take us to Julia and Alonzo or at least to a place where we can see they are safe? "

"Adair…" Danziger grumbled.

"John, we have to trust each other." Devon looked into the older man's eyes.

The observer became the observed. Apparently, she passed some test in his mind.

He turned to lead. "Only you can come, Devon. John must wait here."

"No way," Danziger protested, grabbing her arm. "Devon, you're not going with him alone. He'll have three hostages."

Mazatl scanned the sky. It wouldn't be long now. The stillness was unnatural. He waited as they argued; any delay helped his cause.

Alonzo and Julia felt their position shift. A sudden force pulled them forward like metal to a magnet. The pilot steeled his mind and body to resist and felt Julia move against him. He remembered Mazatl telling him he had to draw their enemy into the web, but he had no idea how. The muscles in his legs and feet flexed as he wedged them against the solid ground. Where was Mazatl? How could this fine transparent web protect them? The convict wanted nothing more than to take Julia and destroy him. The shadows grew larger as they closed in. The pilot's anger grew. Why should he cower? It would be so easy to disregard his friend's advice, to break free and release the inferno of pent up rage.

Devon and Danziger had finally came to an agreement. They would follow Mazatl until they could see that Alonzo and Julia were safe. He had convinced them their friends' safety would depend on their promise. At the top of the mesa, the Indian slowed. John and Devon's eyes met and locked, passing unspoken questions and fears.

As their eyes adjusted in the growing light, Danziger mumbled under his breath, "What the hell?" He started forward but the Indian gripped him so hard it almost took him down.

Devon and Danziger were stunned to see their crew mates wrapped in a huge cocoon that was guarded by an arachnid who's dimensions defied reason.

Julia felt the hardening of muscle tension in the man behind her. An unknown terror stood before her. She felt as if she was caught between two wild animals that wanted nothing more than to tear each other apart. She arched her neck, stretching the spider's shroud.

"Alonzo. No!"

Her plea tore at his heart. It ripped the festering scab off a poisonous wound. Suddenly it became clear to him. The web was not meant to be a shield. It represented a razor thin boundary that stood between what he was and what he could become.

The moment of understanding dawned with the sun of G889. Blades of light swept the horizon and caught the gossamer strands of the Dream Snare, firing it with a blinding brilliance. Devon and Danziger instinctively ducked but Mazatl simply closed his eyes against the sacred and mystical transformation that took place before him.

It was over in a instant. Looking around at seemingly normal surroundings, the cowering couple were amazed and horrified to see their crewmates and the web were gone. They rushed to the spot where they were last seen. John caught the movement of the huge spider scurrying under a boulder dragging something dark. A cold shiver began at his neck and continued down his spine.

Devon was ahead of him. "John!"

He followed her lead and found their friends just behind the boulders. Alonzo was removing Julia's gag. The doctor gazed into the pilot's eyes. Unconsciously, an understanding beyond words arose between them. It was strong enough to hold feelings in place and maintain some sense of normality. Perhaps it was better that way, even necessary, if the long, hard journey ahead could continue. There would still be numerous trials and obstacles to overcome. Right now all that mattered was that they were safe after surviving a gauntlet of pain and terror.

John knelt down and helped Julia and then Alonzo to their feet, brushing silk and dirt from their clothing. "You all right?"

"Yes." they both answered at the same time and then glanced at each other with the glimmer of a smile at the agreement.

"Thank you, Mazatl." the pilot's words were heartfelt. He was sorry for even doubting the older man for a moment.

Danziger looked suspiciously from one to the other. "You both have a lot of explaining to do."

"I don't think I'd be able to explain half of what happened," the pilot replied.

Julia nodded as she wrapped her arm around Alonzo's waist to help support and take the weight off his injured foot. "I agree. Right now, I have a patient who needs my attention. We've all been though a lot. I recommend we take care of our immediate problems. We can talk about the rest later."

John looked at Devon and shrugged. He wrapped Alonzo's arm around his neck. "Let's get you back so Julia can heal this foot. We're not going to carry you all the way to New Pacifica."

They began the arduous climb down, Mazatl, who was last in line, turned one final time to pay a thankful homage to spider woman. There was a explanation for what had happened. They only needed to look closely at the simple patterns of nature.

Just as the spider linked each strand of her web to make it strong, an invisible bond linked them to each other. Also, this day and the coming night was linked to the sunrise and set of the following day and all it contained and would continue until their journey circled to it's completed end.

In the greater picture, to those who believed, the Dream Snare caught the ills, misfortunes, disappointments and sorrows of life and allowed good to escape through the small hole left in the center by Asibikaashi.


End file.
